The courage to be themselves
by X-98
Summary: A different story about one of the best villains created by DreamWorks: Lord Shen. "The more rooted the discrimination, the less visible. It is the fear of the different, the misunderstanding that being different is not a bad thing, but only the courage to be yourself! Uniqueness is the most precious gift we have, but the wicked can see it as a treasure that can be appropriated".
1. Chapter 1

**BE DIFFERENT**

The days flowed peacefully in ancient China.

Every inhabitant of these boundless lands lived their lives peacefully, worrying more about tomorrow than about a long-term future.

Powerful lords, merchants and peasants, all worked hard in their work, for this reason China was rich and powerful!

In a large and influential city, things would soon change. The future cannot be predicted: every decision made changes it irretrievably!

The inhabitants of this city, mostly peasants and traders, were not aware that their actions and thoughts would affect what would happen within a few years.

Unaware, they continued to live their lives quietly. Yet among such simple people a terrible plague was rampant: prejudice!

You could have been a local, but if you were born different then your life would be hell, since superstition was still powerful on people's minds!

The rulers of Gong Men were loved and respected. Thanks to them the city was rich and prosperous. They had invented fireworks bringing joy to many people. When news of the birth of an heir came, everyone quivered with curiosity to see the new Prince, sure that he would be as good and just as his parents.

But when the long-awaited moment came, only disappointment and fear were to welcome the new life. The Prince was born with a particular condition: he was albino!

This put the young heir's life in danger from the outset as his weak immune system could not protect him sufficiently even from a slight cough.

At first it was thought that the chick would die early, but he proved stubborn and full of desire to live. After each fever he recovered and became stronger and stronger.

Growing up, he realized his diversity and this had led him to close in on himself. Words sometimes hurt more than beatings!

Yet the young Prince managed to make friends with unlikely friends, also victims of prejudice: wolves!

The canids' job was to keep the royal family safe and protect the city but being numerous and predatory in a city full of cattle and sheep, they found themselves relying only on the herd, since they were always shunned by the citizens.

Zhan was the son of the two dominant alphas and met Prince Shen when he was seven years old while the chick was only five. They met during some tragic events: a rich nobleman was assassinated a few days after the attempted murder of the young Prince.

Shen was almost dead when intruders managed to break into his rooms at night. The two alpha wolves were guarded by the young heir round the clock, and for this reason, they had to take their son with them. It was then that the unthinkable bond began to form!

From the very beginning, the two struck up a friendship that strengthened with time between mischief and important tasks.

Once adults the wolf became the alpha of the herd and the Prince's personal bodyguard. Shen was a great warrior, specializing with the caliph in particular, but being young and inexperienced he accepted the protection of his friend who had enough brute force to face any danger with his head held high.

Everything seemed to be going the right way, but Shen had found himself another great challenge on his way: finding a girlfriend!

As Prince, he would have to marry some rich lady to increase his wealth and unite two kingdoms to benefit both.

The main problem was that the young man had already tried to woo some peacocks that had attracted him, but since his plumage devoid of bright colors the females looked at him with disgust.

This was another blow to the Prince, who now finds himself in a difficult situation as, being the heir to the throne of Gong Men, it was his job to find a worthy queen to stand by his side for the duration of his reign and from which he could secure a disc Endence. Not even the people were on his side as they called his condition a "bad omen."

Being white the color of death, in Chinese culture, everyone was firmly convinced that Prince Shen would bring only ruin and death!

It was a hot summer morning, the white peacock was dressing up after taking a refreshing shower once the morning workout was over.

That particular day he would have lunch with his parents. It was rarely the case, but as soon as they could, the sovereigns tried to spend time with their beloved son. Perhaps because they had neglected him during his early years because of his low life expectancy, or just to prepare him for his future task as heir to the city!

But the Prince didn't care why the joy at such news didn't make him think of those questions. It was still early and as he walked through the gardens Shen was flanked by Zhan "My lord, the goods you ordered have arrived. I had them brought to the lab so they can use it as soon as they get their work back!" He said the wolf put his paws behind his back to appear more casual.

"Are you looking for a companion?" He sneered at the peacock when he saw the friend who was strapping his back every time a wolf passed by him.

"Like you sir!" Zhan responded by provoking the Prince.

"I'd have more luck wooing a turtle, while you're very coveted given the position you have!" Shen replied with a shredded. "Talking about serious things..." continued the peacock "... trying to preserve our offspring is a serious matter!" complained about the wolf.

"... The bandits in the north gave more trouble after you and your men got rid of them?" Shen asked, ignoring his friend's comment.

"They haven't shown up again, but I don't think they're defeated! Only the bars of a prison will be able to stop them for good!" Zhan said with obvious anxiety in his voice. "It almost seems like you're afraid of them!" Shen mocked him.

The wolf nervously moved his tail "It's only because I found out who's in charge!" Admitted. "Then make me part of that discovery!" The Prince insisted. "Lord Enlai forbade me to talk about it!" He confessed to the hesitant wolf.

"But my father's orders with me are not worth it... spit the toad!" He said, indeed he ordered the peacock.

"They answer To Gang!" The Wolf Boss answered all in one breath. Shen stopped suddenly, stiffening to the terrible memory that that name provoked.

Years ago, after numerous investigations, it was discovered that it was that damn tiger who ordered his murder, failing only by a breath.

The scar now on the Prince's chest burned to the memory of that terrible night when he was just five years old. That bandit had escaped justice for a long time, and Shen shivered with a desire to even the score!

"I understand!" He said only before he discharged the wolf and headed to the dining room. "Good morning, son, welcome. Sit down with us!" Lord Enlai said, pointing to his son a seat next to him. "Good morning father, mother!" Shen answered by bending his head respectfully in front of his parents before obeying and sitting down at the table.

"We've heard that you're conducting new experiments with fireworks!" Lady Yi began the speech. "Yes, I invented a device that I called a rocket launcher! It is a metal pipe whose job is to protect people from the sparks caused by fires, so accidents will decrease considerably!

Unfortunately the metal still can't handle the heat produced by some of the fireworks we have, but I'm working on it!" He proudly said Shen only to lower the ridge admitting that he had not achieved good results. The idea was there, but it had to work it!

"That's great news! Congratulations son, I couldn't expect less from you! As soon as these traders give me a little respite I can't wait to be able to join you in the lab, to see with my own eyes the magnificent work you are doing!" Lord Enlai said before he started eating the meal he served. Shen smiled.

There were very rare moments when his men openly expressed appreciation for his work for good for their city and only during such expressions of affection could he feel truly loved since many times they reproached him for every little misbehavior, giving voice to their disappointment very often.

A servant entered the hall "My lord, the bandits! On the outskirts of town! They attacked the traders who have just arrived!" He panicked the antelope. "How many are there?" Lord Enlai asked, standing up. "A dozen ladies!" The servant answered by remaining on his knees.

"Send the guards to quell this conflict!" He resolutely ordered the king before sitting down and resuming to eat. "Father, are you sure you don't want me to go?" Shen asked, who quivered for a fight.

"No, ten bandits can be safely managed by our guard. Since the problem is not serious and soon I will be besieged again by matters concerning the city, I prefer to spend the remaining time in the company of my son!" The parent said, looking at him fondly. Shen bowed his head in gratitude.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At the gates of the city Zhan struck with a hammer a bandit who had the ill-fated idea of challenging him.

A howl caught his eye and ran to the wolf that had cast it. "What is it now?" He asked, impatient with all the confusion, "There are other bandits in the market near the harbour!" Said the soldier questioned "And also near the east walls of the city!" He added another just arrived in a hurry.

Zhan growled and after landing him, he violently grabbed one of the bandits by the neck "Tell me what you have in mind and I'll see not to hurt you too much!" He said menacingly.

The boar laughed "Did you say goodbye to your beloved Prince?" He asked.

The Wolf Boss trembled, but did not give him too much to see.

The fear made him rise up his hair and increase the narrow "What do you mean by this? Do you really think a handful of bandits will get to my lord? You barely entered the city!" He said confidently.

"But we are only the diversion!" He admitted to the boar before laughing hard. "If you really were, you wouldn't tell me!" He insisted on the wolf.

"I told you because I'm sure you can't do anything for your precious peacock now!" Said the bandit laughing maniacally. In a fit of fury Zhan made him faint by hitting him in the forehead with the hammer.

"To the palace quick!" He yelled at a small group of experienced wolves. It was all Gang's work, there was no doubt!

He was the only one who halves the royal family so much that he went so far! Years ago, Lord Enlai had imprisoned his sister, and then handed her over to the imperial guard, thus decreeing his end!

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

They had just finished eating and Shen was quietly talking to his parents about the afternoon meeting he was supposed to be attending.

Noises made the peacocks turn to the dining room door and cries made them stand up alarmed. Lord Enlai stood in front of his wife and son, and when the door opened, he slated the sword "Gang! Only you could dare so much!" The king thundered against the tiger.

"When the desire for vengeance exceeds caution, one can achieve great goals!" Gang said, nervously shaking the thing "Now I will have my revenge! And I'm going to inflict the same pain you caused me! Depriving you..." I unhinged a dagger pointed at the young Prince "...of the one you love!" He said grinning.

"No!" he cried. She whispered to Lady Yi, carrying her wings in front of her beak and looking frightened at her husband who reciprocated his fears.

Lord Shen undressed his Guan Dao and provoked the enemy "Get under it then! Me..." he was interrupted by his father who stood before him. "No one threatens my family and goes unpunished!" He cried out full of rage at the sovereign.

But often when one lets himself be guided by the rush of emotions he loses all kind of caution!

Lord Enlai attacked with the intention of ending the life of the bandit who had tried years before depriving him of his most precious treasure, but Gang was quick to react.

He dodged the blade and inflicted a deep wound in the sovereign's wing. The peacock screamed in pain and fell to his knees on the ground losing his weapon in the fall.

"Is that all you can do?" He sang it before turning his attention to the Prince. This time it was he who made the first move, but a few inches from the Prince was blinded by the latter's tail that opened suddenly a few centimeters from his face. This distraction allowed Shen to throw a well-placed kick in to his face, causing him to capitulate to the ground like a sack of potatoes!

The white peacock stood by his mother's side with the intention of protecting her, but he could not help mocking his rival "You should have killed me when I was little! Now you will always find yourself where those like you must be: among the earth, imbued with your own humiliation!" Shen said, looking at his opponent with great satisfaction. Gang snorted soundly.

Only then did the enlightenment seem to catch him: if he wanted to take revenge for good, sticking in bulk was not the best idea!

No, he would have found an even crueler way to inflict his painful punishment on the feathers of those pompous birds!

How he was still a mystery, but he had become China's most famous bandit only because of his genius, which made him unpredictable! And this time, too, it would have amazed the whole world! So much so that no one would ever dare to get in his way again!

After this reflection all he did was shout a "Retreat!" Before returning to where he had come from, that is, a cave hidden among the shores of the sea not far from Gong Men, under the surprised gaze of the royal family.

As he made his way out of town he saw the wolves return at breakneck speed to the Tower of the Holy Flame and even though his men had done a good job keeping them engaged for so long, he would still beat them up and be accused of negligence, since he had a desperately need to vent!

"Do you say that the coward has surrendered since I have now become a more skilled warrior than he has?" He asked Shen to his parents.

"No son! It's unpredictable, trying to guess his next move is a mistake! We must be ready for anything!" Lord Enlai said before hissing in pain while the doctor treated him for the wound.

"He's running away! If the wolves and I chased him, we could put an end to this threat!" said Shen was extremely eager to play them again to the scoundrel for what he had done to his beloved parent.

"No! It could be a trap!" Lady Yi said anxiously. "I agree! Going to the enemy's lair is not a wise idea! You did a great job, saving my life, but we'll wait for him to make the next move so we can stop him once and for all!" Lord Enlai said as he adjusted his sleeve so that the doctor could work without too much effort.

"Did you say the same thing even when he tried to kill me years ago?" asked Shen in an accusatory tone, only to regret it when his father gave him a frosty look of reproach for such a disrespect!

"Yes, but I didn't think he would return to the attack after so many years! I was convinced he had given up and I was wrong! Now that we know his strategy, we can anticipate him and beat him!" The king said.

"He could change it again!" Shen insisted.

"But this time we know he's going to attack again and we'll keep us ready!" He said Lady Yi tried to appease her son before the conversation escalated into quarrel.

Both peacocks were stubborn and could go on for hours, supporting their own theories!

"Now excuse us son, but I have to go and change my robe!" Lord Enlai said before leaving followed by his wife.

Shen didn't even have time to snort that the dining-room door was opened with such force that he jolted.

Zhan panted heavily and looked genuinely exhausted as he gazed frantically around, looking for who knows what! "If you're worried about him, calm down! I sent him back to the dumpster from which he kicked his ass!" Shen said he fully enjoyed the basic expression that the wolf assumed at such news.

Zhan recovered in a few seconds "M-my...sorry sir! I thought he was in..." ".. danger?" He ended the question for the peacock. The wolf nodded, "My father's fear ended up infecting us too! I'm perfectly capable of defending myself, apparently! Today's victory is proof of that!" Shen said proudly.

The Wolf Boss dismissed the guards to his entourage and went with the Prince to his rooms. They continued to converse about what had happened and to their surprise, the peacock realized that the followers of that bandit had increased!

The evening came and there was still a tense air in the Palace for the events of that morning. But for Shen they had gone into the background!

Once the meeting was over he had the unpleasant idea of listening to a conversation between two advisers, ending up hearing only insults directed at him!

Maybe he was fighting a lost battle at the start! Perhaps no one would ever accept him for what he was! Maybe... they were telling the truth!

Shen ran to the gym to drive away those damn thoughts. He had to let off steam with a mannequin instead of those who had too long tongues and brazenness to make comments like that in his house!

They were just counselors! Once he inherited his father's throne, he could have ruined them! Yet it was frustrating that the words of such insignificant people upset him to such an extent that he doubted himself!

Shen didn't know, but soon things would change! Life would put him in even worse challenges, but perhaps necessary to make him understand who he really was!

**I decided to write down this crazy idea that suddenly came into my mind!**

**It's the first story I write, so I hope that eventually something decent will come out!**

**I will accept every comment, criticism and advice to improve! Enjoy the reading!**

**I wanted to deeply thank Francylover for giving me a lot of support and advice for this story!**

**X-98**


	2. Chapter 2

**THE COLLECTOR**

The winter festival was almost imminent.

Lord Enlai and Lady Yi were in the throne room with their son to decide the final preparations for the big event. An explosion caused the young man to crash into the columns of the hall, while the sovereigns crouched beside the throne in an attempt to shelter from the debris that spurted everywhere.

A strange cloaked figure made his way into the throne room. He had entered through the window, as if she could fly even though she didn't seem to have feathers!

The intruder took off the hood that covered his face, but Shen didn't take too much notice noticing with fear that he wasn't alone!

Nine other impostors entered the room, staying behind and at a considerable distance from the one who, without a doubt, was the leader.

"Good morning to all present! I am Derek, sovereign of the solitary islands, come here with a dream ..." but the speaker found himself remaining open-mouthed while someone interrupted his sentence of effect, long prepared and studied because he created a chilling atmosphere "How dare you go into my house like this!" shouted Lord Enlai furiously and then stared at the intruder with an open bill: he was a human! Impossible!

Human beings were only myths, the result of imagination! Yet this strange creature fully corresponded to the description: it stood on two legs, had no feathers or a thick fur to cover its body, devoid of claws or natural weapons and possessed a developed intelligence! Well this last point still had to be verified!

"Little bird, didn't they teach you that interrupting people is rude ?!" the one who called himself Derek asked sarcastically.

"Because blowing up the houses of others is a courtesy, instead!" Shen said furiously approaching threateningly to the man who was facing his father's throne.

One of the intruders jumped "Sir! If I'm dreaming, wake me up!" The individual said speaking to his companions. All ten humans looked at Shen with absolute wonder and disbelief.

"I thought your species belonged only to legends! Why did you come to a world so different from yours?" Lord Enlai asked reassured once he saw the wolf guards enter but surprised when the strangers did not react: strangely the humans did not seem at all intimidated by the canines.

"I told you! I'm chasing a dream!" The chief of men replied. "What is it ?!" The sovereign insisted that he was slowly losing his patience.

"Look at yourself!" Derek said, snapping his fingers. Suddenly various species of animals entered the windows behind the group of humans. But not everyone had wings!

Then how the hell had they come up there without using the stairs, Shen wondered mentally!

"Admire the greatest collection of all time! I have a tiger, an owl, a monkey, a leopard and many other unique animals, but I have always missed something! I felt it! Yes, my most precious pearl had not shown up yet ... but now ... Now it is in front of me!" The human said, putting his arms forward.

"What are you talking about?" Zhan asked in confusion that, halfway through his speech, he could not grasp its full meaning.

Even the rulers did not seem to understand as Shen shuddered to hear that sentence which took away all doubt. He was their goal! All those animals were like him with the only difference that the white peacock still had its freedom!

"I am a collector, I own unique things in the world, but I had never seen such a wonder! An albino peacock!" He said pointing at Shen.

Lord Enlai and Lady Yi winced, as did the wolf.

"That is actually yes! But with these colors I miss and I won't be satisfied until I have in my collection up to the last existing white peacock in this world! You know what to do!" The chief said, clapping his hands to his men.

The humans held crossbows and pointed at the two peacocks. Zhan got into the fighting position as well as Shen.

"Give up and no harm will be done to him!" Derek said, pointing to the rulers. After an interminable moment Shen lowered his weapon, hid it in his clothes and approached the intruders.

"No! Stand back!" Shouted Lord Enlai when he saw that his son was turning himself over to them. But it was too late. The wolves obeyed their lord and did not move a muscle to stop it or defend it.

Zhan couldn't hold back a growl when he saw his friend being tied up with thick ropes.

"Try to rebel and they die!" The human said to the white peacock "... disobey and they die! Try to escape ... and they die! ..." but another individual interrupted his head during such a striking and disturbing threat, also studied with meticulous care to make his scene once told and make Derek appear as a crime boss. "In short, blindly obey the great Derek and no harm will be done to him!" The latter gave him a dirty look that would incinerate anyone who had been hit, with the only result of having the man who had dared open his mouth bleached!

"We will become rich!" Derek exulted immediately imitated by his men. Shen took one last look at his beloved parents and gave them a reassuring smile.

Yes, he would have managed to escape and he would have defeated those arrogant humans, this would have meant that his name would never have been forgotten!

"All aboard!" Screamed a human who was standing on a strange construction of flying metal. And Shen wondered how he managed not to notice her before being literally dragged over it.

It consisted of a large construction of iron and wood that formed the main bridge. At its edges were two large oval balloons, the size of a building, which probably supported it in the air.

A noise from the base made him notice the presence of some rotating blades that seemed to move thanks to a force unknown to him. As icing on the cake, it seemed like humans were able to maneuver it to make it go in any direction they wanted! In a short time he saw the city getting smaller and smaller.

His mother's tears continued to haunt him, but he was sure he would see them again! He was placed in a cage as well as other animals.

"Do you know where they are taking us?" asked a leopard. The latter set the void remaining impaled like a cod. He wore a kind of muzzle with a strap on his forehead, a red sapphire that reflected the sunlight, blinding everyone who looked at him!

Shen, after several attempts, gave up attempting any approach with all the others, human or otherwise.

He saw that Derek was holding a stick with another sapphire stone in it.

It shone even more than a star and was struck when it suddenly lost light after the human pressed a part of the stick. Immediately afterwards all the other animals fell to the ground like sacks of potatoes and moans followed this scene.

"Look! Now I too have a neighbor!" Said the leopard. "Now do you talk to me?" Shen asked, annoyed. "Our master Derek is holding the power of the great red ruby. He managed to manipulate his energy so well that he manages to submit anyone to his will!" The feline explained.

"It didn't have any effect on me!" Answered the peacock.

"Of course not! It uses other stones that can capture the energy so as to control many more people than it would actually be able to subdue! By the way, my name is Mei! Who are you?" She asked.

"You just kidnapped me and you don't know who I am?" Shen asked incredulously. "First, Derek controls us at will, making us do whatever he wants, in our opinion we never remember anything that happens while we are under the influence of the diamond and third ... wait, there is no it's no third point! At least for now! I think I forgot it!" Said the leopard sitting comfortably on the ground.

"So I too will become his servant?" Asked the peacock. "Yes, but only after helping to expand the species!" Mei replied before starting to walk in circles in her cage. "Expand the species?" Shen wanted to believe that he had misunderstood! It was little but sure.

"Now of the rations!" A man screamed as he threw, with a ladle, into the various bowls present in the numerous cages, a foul-smelling concoction.

"Enjoy your meal!" Mei said before getting on all fours and eating like an animal! Shen couldn't hold back a grimace of disgust. "If ... you not... I...i do!" Was she delirious? Perhaps that was battered food mixed together!

Mei swallowed the morsel and after cleaning her face with her paw she repeated "If I don't eat it, I'll do it!" He said, passing an arm through the bars. "Don't make it!" Shen said glad to get rid of that stuff.

"And you shouldn't be so picky! This soup is the best thing there is!" Mei said before even devouring her part. "Really?" The peacock asked even though he didn't want an answer. "Yes, we usually see spoiled vegetables, you see what's better for you!" Said the feline before curling up in a corner of the cage.

That strange building had been flying over the ocean for many hours. Shen mentally thanked the humans for giving him a blanket because the gusts of wind were cold and extremely strong.

"Mei?" The leopard called, trying not to be heard by others. She peeked out from under the covers and after a yawn she spoke "Hi! Why don't you sleep?" She asked. "You're like me, aren't you? Like all captive animals!" Shen said in a suffering voice. "No!" The peacock raised his head in surprise "No?" He asked confused "No, I'm not a peacock, genius! ... from your expression I must deduce that this was not what you were referring to, right?" she asked, amused by the absurd face of the bird. "You're ... albino!" Shen said contemptuously "Yes and I'm proud!" The feline answered enthusiastically.

"It's the color of death! A curse, a bad omen, how can you be proud of it?" The angry peacock asked. "You grew up among ignorant people, didn't you?" That question confused him even more "It's incredible! In the place where none of us are taking us, we know how to read or write, but we are much more open with "unique" people! I am albino and my parents never let me weigh it, for the simple fact that nothing changes! It is others who make you suffer for the simple fact of being different, but only because diversity is scary! Don't ask me for an explanation ... I'm not one who understands the animal mind! My beloved parents have always told me that white is the color of purity, of rebirth and not of losers as you say!" The leopard said quietly

"I said color of death! Only ... I never thought of it this way!" Shen said in shock. "You despise yourself! You don't love yourself! Only because of stupid people! But I understand you! Even if you shouldn't care what other people think you can't help but suffer for what they say! Words do a lot more harm than beatings sometimes!" Mei said disconsolately.

"They are not stupid ... they say ... the truth! If I were born normal, that crazy human would not have appeared, putting the entire city at risk just to capture me!" Shen said in a suffering tone.

"He is crazy! You just said it! Who tells you that next time you don't aim for someone else who has nothing "abnormal" !? He took the goods that would have earned him more, that is the rare one, that is us!" Mei replied in tone.

"But you seem to have been taken prisoner longer than me!" Shen said curiously. "Yes! He sold me for an exorbitant sum and then threatened the death buyer to get me back! So he only earned us! It boasts a unique collection and must somehow contain the costs to capture new specimens!" The feline said as if it were all perfectly normal.

"And ... your parents?" Shen asked, not quite sure he was gentle with this question. "Dead! He killed them when they fought to defend me ... yours?" Perhaps he had asked him that question so as not to have to think too much about his painful loss, but the white peacock immediately noticed an abysmal difference between him and that leopard.

She had grown up surrounded by love and understanding, while he between hatred and prejudice. His parents had fought to protect her, while his father had not moved a feather in his defense!

Of course, the city would have been in danger if he reacted, but he was his son! A searing pain caught him in the chest and on the brink of tears he said "They let me go!".

Immediately afterwards he put his head under the wing to indicate that he had had enough of talking. The question that was forming in his mind after that conversation was painful! Terrible!

But he couldn't help but wonder: had his parents ever loved him? When it was small there had never been! Only when it became certain that he would survive had they begun to spend brief moments together, but there had always been something between them.

He was invisible, but Shen knew that a veil had kept them apart and had never been torn apart. The white peacock had never had a real demonstration of the love they felt for him!

This, from the beginning, had cast the shadow of doubt in the heart of Shen ... and now he felt lost! Perhaps that was the confirmation that they only cared about the well-being of the city and the people who lived there?

Did they care more for their subjects to let him go without blinking? From what he could see ... it seemed so! He stopped mulling over those terrifying doubts and started looking around in a desperate attempt to find something to distract him!

He could not tell how much time passed, but Mei asked him a question "Do you want to be my friend?" He smiled sadly "Yes! I promise I'll always be by your side!" She said as she passed a paw through the bars. He grabbed her and squeezed hard to seal that pact of friendship.

They were abruptly interrupted by numerous men who surrounded the cages.

One of them grabbed the white peacock by the neck with a strange stick at the end of which was a rope, passing it around Shen's neck, while two others entered the cage.

Shen was terrified and couldn't keep himself from blowing against strangers. His wings froze as a fourth individual began to inspect it carefully.

Fortunately Mei had hidden under the covers so she would not have witnessed that humiliating scene!

Suddenly the man stopped "He's very young!" He said happily. Then he went on to check the wings, the tail, the neck, the eyes and the mouth!

Shen hated doctors! He had always detested them since he had seen many since he was a child because of his low immune system! A small cold object was placed on his chest and he saw that the human's face was extremely serious.

_"But what is he doing?"_ The peacock thought. He felt all over his chest and then said, "Good beat, even the chest is very good! He is in excellent health!".

Once the three men were released he was released from the noose.

"They are annoying, I know! But this is nothing! They will require you to pair with one of your kind later, that is, once we get there!" Mei said, still curled up under the covers. "How do you know certain things?" The peacock asked "Humans have a long tongue! It was enough to pay attention every time they approached the cage! I think they see us as an investment instead of living beings! The problem is that they expect Czech obedience from us! You know, now I know the meaning of the word slavery! Even if our current situation could be called "Prison", don't you think?" Mei asked once he had finished thinking aloud.

"They will never ask me! I will fight to the death!" Shen said furiously at the treatment received. "Perfect! From these your words I deduce that our friendship will be very short, as well as your life!" Mei peeked out from under the covers and looked at him badly "Now think about surviving, then we will take care of the escape plan!" She said before saving under the fabric "I don't want to survive! I want to live!" Shen screamed impatiently.

"Yes, but not always one has what he wants!" Mei replied and then growled.

Talking with a cotton ball was not exciting, so the peacock decided not to retaliate. "My name is Shen!" The peacock finally said as he heard the cat laugh from under the covers.

One thing was certain: he had to escape! He would have released the other animals, of course! But he knew that more time would pass and more humans would be strengthened because, apparently, they were bringing them into a kind of fortress.

**Hi, I'm X-98 this is the first story I write and I hope that eventually something decent will come!**

**Lord Shen's parents are called Lord Enlai (which means "appreciation") and Lady Yi (happy, shining like a pearl). Since their names were never mentioned in the film, I gave them some chosen by me.**

**We are only at the beginning as I have in mind an adventure full of surprises and dangers! Let me know what you think and excuse any misspellings, but I'm not very good with English! **

**See you soon, **

**X-98**


	3. Chapter 3

**PRISONING **

Five days. Only five days had passed! Yet the elapsed time seemed greater because of its slow flow. Humans were cruel, or perhaps it was only a feature of their captors. Mei had confessed to him that very often they enjoyed beating them. There was no precise reason, or rather, they did nothing to provoke them and yet the beatings were not lacking. Perhaps the feeling given by raging on a poor defenseless animal gave that sense of power and self-esteem that they lacked! Or was it a way to subdue them? Shen had not yet understood this! Yet the numerous cuts and bruises procured during the numerous rounds of beatings prevented him momentarily from resting well. Eventually he surrendered to the idea of sleeping to recover from his injuries and called his new friend "Mei!" "How long has it been keeping you in a cage?" The peacock asked curiously. "Just under two months! Why? "She asked in return," What did they do to you? "Shen continued the interrogation" Apart from torturing and starving myself? Let's see ... "she said pretending to think about it" ... ah yes! They forced me to kidnap you together with two other animals, to clean this flying contraption, to blindly obey every order, absurd or not that it was ... and ... what's missing? I had it on the tip of my tongue ... right! They made me watch my beloved parents perform! "The feline screamed furiously. "My curiosity was, I didn't want to awaken painful memories. As I did it, I apologize! "Shen said, only partially understanding his anger as his parents were still alive and well. "No, you are sorry! I'm the one who growls at a trusted friend! "Mei admitted heartily. "Have we known each other for less than a week and already trust me?" Asked the skeptical peacock. "Do you think my parents always scold my good heart! But being a prisoner yourself, why shouldn't I? We have also made a pact of friendship! "The feline said, very happy.

"Excuse me, are you very young?" Shen asked hesitantly. "Of course you're weird. Sometimes you act like a gentle and respectful gentleman, others your cheek is sensational! Anyway, yes, I'm very young, I'm twenty years old! "Mei replied "I three more!" Shen said to make her feel not too embarrassed. "Vecchiaccio!" The feline said, laughing. "Who did they capture beyond me?" He asked curiously. "A bat named Bo and a white wolf named Syaoran!" Mei replied managing to remember the names well since the humans had done nothing but repeat them for days, like that of the peacock. The reason was a mystery! A wolf. His childhood friend Zhan came to mind. He knew well that those canids were never alone. Surely he had to be part of a pack that was equivalent to large numbers which in turn meant more chances of winning in a fight! A grin appeared on the peacock's face: the escape plan was already beginning to take shape in his mind! Find the village of the men, discover the weak points, find a safe escape and with the strength of the number take down the defenses of which it is provided! Simple and concise.

The problem was that not knowing at all about this village, this plan could have been completely upset!

Three more days went by and Shen's concern only increased. After the first five days the humans had started to ignore them, except for the food, at least they remembered to give it to him even though it was quite disgusting as it was spoiled most of the time! The peacock's suspicions were born when one of the wounds on his side started to burn more than the others. Now it had become a certainty: it had become infected! Even if the cut was small and not so deep, the infection could have killed him in a few days! Since it was albino the time available to intervene decreased drastically! A fortune! The sarcasm was a novelty that struck the peacock like a bolt from the blue, but he didn't pay much attention, since he had to find a way to heal the infected wound. The water seemed to come from a swamp, so it had to be excluded because it would have worsened its condition. He began to observe the humans, but they seemed to be more filthy than them and this gave him a sickness, but he didn't vomit! He already ate little ... it was better not to throw away the little they gave him. "Don't tell me you're looking for a way to escape?" Mei asked curiously when she saw this agitation in her friend's cell. "Not at all! But one of the wounds became infected! It hurts a lot and if I don't do something it could get worse! "Shen said that he was getting more and more worried as the hours passed. "I remember that island! It shouldn't be long before landing, a matter of hours! "The feline said, pointing to that piece of land that was just before the horizon.

The peacock forced himself to sit down and calm himself down. Even if he was nervous, giving a fool wasn't the solution, he had to think calmly! Yet the pain grew more and more! What could he do? In the end he decided to rest in the hope that the wound healed on its own. He took a look at Mei and smiled when he saw her admiring the landscape with interest. That girl could see the good in everything: it was on the edge of a crevasse and she admired the landscape! Was he in a cage? Well he had done nothing but wonder if the humans would release them, or take them to see new places, as well as Gong Men! Of course, he hated them and wasn't happy when they chained her and ordered her to clean that flying thing, but it didn't seem to have lost hope for a better tomorrow! Two more days passed and the infection became worse and worse. Shen was awake at times, burning with fever and the cut on his side showed him the stars as he tried to move! Mei had tried, in vain, to attract the attention of humans, since they were drunk most of the time! It was only by a miracle if they hadn't crashed, since from the sharp turns that often made that flying thing it was evident that even those who drove it, loved to drink! Eventually the white peacock fell asleep profoundly without answering any more questions that Mei kept asking him in a desperate attempt to keep him awake. Fortunately they only landed after two hours. Only this time it was different! Mei had never been so scared in his life! They had always remained on board, safe! At least it was what kept repeating itself as humans unloaded the cages thanks to strong iron arms that could support the weight of the metal structures plus their occupants. The cages were positioned, one after the other, in front of a high wall and the other prisoners were forced to leave the other side of that wall. Many did not seem worried at all, and they obeyed the orders as if they were forcing them to take a cup of tea, that is to say with deference.

Some of them resisted, but not Mei. It was not unconsciousness, but only curiosity that pushed her to see what was beyond. She was appalled at what she saw once outside the cage, but inside the walls ... she was immediately distracted by poor Shen who was thrown in like a sack of potatoes. He went to his rescue, ready to protect him from any danger, but when the stranger began to speak he felt a great weight slipping down from his heart: they were safe!

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"Quiet! Here you can lead a new life! All of you ... "the bird turned to the four newcomers" ... you are safe! I know the journey was hard, but I assure you that your suffering ends here! We are friends and we want you to feel comfortable. As you can see, a detail that unites us is albinism, but not only. The greedy human who keeps us prisoners is looking for extremely rare animals such as the specifying peacock, the harlequin peacock, the green peacock, the white peacock, the opal peacock, the purple peacock, the bronze buford peacock, the cameo peacock or the golden tiger, the pink leopard, melanistic animals and many more! He is a collector and keeps us segregated here only to be able to admire us. Despite this, the place is very large! We will find you a convenient location as soon as possible. In the meantime we celebrate to know each other better! ". Mei could not help looking at the person who had entertained the conversation. It was a harlequin peacock and apart from a large white spot on the face and part of the tail, the rest was ... normal, that is a blue peacock with a green tail! There were other unique peacocks as well as numerous animals like her. He would never have believed that there could be so many! He still had to do the counting, but they were not few! Shen was taken to a cozy wooden house and placed on a large mattress. "Once the wound is disinfected and bandaged, it will heal and with adequate nutrition it will recover!" A purple peacock said. Violet? Purple!? Whatever color it was was strange. Mei rubbed her eyes several times and even thought that the vegetable spoiled as a side effect had made her become color blind! "Nice to meet you, my name is Wei! I am a purple peacock and I would like you to stop making that absurd expression ... you make me laugh! I mean in a good way! Not to take or criticize your albinism in any way! "Said the peacock in question. "And I thought I was weird! Thanks to you I can feel normal! Can I tell you that you are beautiful? I had never met anyone like you! "Mei said.

Wei immediately understood that there was neither lie nor sarcasm in what the feline had just said and smiled. "Thank you! I and most of the peacocks were raised by humans so if we tell you to do it one way, listen to us because we know them very well! "The bird said as he filled a bowl with food. "Received! But I would like to become independent ... as far as a prisoner can be ... so I'll learn all there is to know about humans! "Mei said before putting his head in a jar just for check its contents, intrigued by its strange shape, being disappointed by finding nothing but dust in it. "Is it simple curiosity or meditate revenge?" Asked a green peacock who had just entered. "No revenge! I just want to know them better so I will feel less of a prisoner! Pleasure I am Mei! "Replied the feline trying not to make a face too surprised. "My name is Zhuang! Do you know him? "He asked, pointing to the bird lying on the mattress. "His name is Shen and he is my friend! He is very scared and he does not trust those he does not know, he told me during the trip. He also knows how to fight, but his family has recently abandoned him so I don't think he will be very happy and sociable at the beginning! "He said first eat quickly and run out of an irrepressible curiosity. She was completely overwhelmed by something, or rather someone, just made a few steps out of the house. He was on the softest pillow in the world, but he had to change his mind when he saw two big yellow eyes staring at her. "Sorry, I'm learning to fly and landing is still not good for me!" Said the owl in question. "My name is Hua! Very pleased! "The bird said, nodding his head. "Do you have a stiff neck?" Asked Mei imitating the gesture. "No ... it was ... a sign of respect!" The owl replied in surprise. "Why should you bring me respect? We are both prisoners! ... and albino! "The feline insisted. Although in the last statement he could not hide a tone of bewilderment and surprise. There were many other animals like her and Shen!

"I will not let a human change me! I will always remain the kind and carefree young man I have always been! For this reason, all those who are in here with me! "The gufa said, ruffling its feathers to get the earth off its back. "It looks like a joke! Experiences change us! It depends only on which road we decide to go! "The feline said seriously. "Are you a shaman? Do you foresee the future or anything like that? "Hua asked fearfully. "No ..." Mei replied, sitting down on the floor "... I speak like my grandmother all here!" melancholic. "So they killed your family too?" The bird asked cautiously. "How do you know?" Mei asked, bewildered by this question. "All those who are here or have remained alone in the world like the two of us, or the family has abandoned them! From what I know there is only one other like us two ... I can't tell if it's luck or bad luck! "Hua said, smoothing his white feathers. "Luck? That? I don't follow you! "Mei asked confused" We have someone to cry who loved us and of which we are guilty of having condemned to death. They don't regret anything! "The owl explained. "But they didn't know love! A mother's warm arms and a father's smile! What's worse? "Mei said bitterly" In this situation ... I think you know! "Hua replied before opening his wings. "It was nice to meet you! I'll see you! I have to go. My tree house is over there in case you want to see me again. You too must enter, there is a curfew! "He said before getting up awkwardly in flight. Mei put both paws in front of the muzzle so as not to laugh like a fool. Maybe even when she was learning to walk it was so funny! ... Embarrassing! Definitely embarrassing! Thank goodness that only his parents had been the only witnesses of that phase of his growth! For two months Mei had been their prisoner, used as a bargaining chip and nothing else! He believed that humans would keep her in a cage forever ... now instead he was in a welcoming place full of kind people ... He could say that luck was turning in his direction!

She ran into the house she had left behind and saw that the lights had been turned off. Shen seemed to sleep peacefully, they must have treated him while she was away. He had told him little and nothing about himself, concentrating on listening more to his stories about happy childhood spent in a loving family. But who was that peacock really? Above all, did it matter now? Yet he could in no way appease such a curiosity that he would not in the least have influenced the future, given that a human was set to control their lives! The brief conversation she had with Hua made her think. She had told herself the owl unable to fly decently that experiences change people! So whoever met in that new place would have known him in a different light! She too had changed. Having become a prisoner in an unknown country, without the guidance of her parents anymore ... she would have made it clear to that excrement that she called herself her master that there was no joke with her! ... but it would not be been more the same without a guide! Indeed, perhaps she could succeed in being truly her without the demoralizing and nagging influence of a parent who criticizes and controls every single day of your life! She would have missed it, but becoming independent was part of growing up, whatever happened! He sat on the bed next to Shen trying to decide whether to sleep on the floor or beside him.

It wasn't his kind, but that didn't change the fact that he was a boy! People there could have had a bad idea about her if they saw her sleeping next to a male on the first day! Peacock, but male, opposite sex! Was this more unnerving or the idea of sleeping on the floor? Not that the cage was very clean, but not having the slightest choice it had to adapt! In the end he decided to give it a high shot and sleep comfortably. He lay down beside the peacock, taking a part of his blanket. It wasn't cold, but he hated hearing it while he was fast asleep! Shen heaved a sigh, as if he had noticed her, but since he seemed to sleep soundly Mei didn't care. He thought back to those days spent in his company and smiled at the idea of having found a new friend! Of course, even that place seemed to portend future, new and lasting friendships, but something inside her told her that the bond created with Shen during those days of travel would remain forever something unique!

**The story continues! Some of the animals I refer to exist in reality, while others do not! Let me know what you think, **

**See you soon, **

**Laura**


	4. Chapter 4

**HOUSE?**

Voices. And so many colors. The awakening was worse than he thought! Shen slowly opened his eyes and was surprised to see a peacock ... purple? And another green! Was she in heaven? "Hi I'm Wei!" Said the purple peacock "And he is Zhuang!" He said pointing to the other who glared at the newcomer. Shen couldn't help but look back. "Where am I? Who are you? "He asked, scared. "Come to think of it, we're just collector's pieces of a crazy human, but since it might seem depressing, I'm just saying: friends!" Replied Wei calmly. "What do you want from us, Derek?" Shen asked cautiously. "Our only plumage is what it uses to become rich, so I think the most appropriate answer is: want to get rich and don't care about the means it uses to achieve that goal!" Wei said, not at all upset. The white peacock looked down and felt its chest, locating, under the robe, a large bandage on its side. A damp rag fell from his head. Most likely they had used it to lower his body temperature, even though he felt the same, still feverish. "Are you hungry?" Zhuang asked, handing Shen a bowl full of rice. Wei could not hold back a laugh, not even Bao, the brown panda, had ever eaten so quickly in his life! "How old are you?" Shen asked curiously. "I am thirty, while he is older than five!" Zhuang replied, pointing to his friend. The white peacock looked around cautiously. "Your friend came out a while ago, talking to Hua, an owl," Wei said, answering unintentionally to one of the many questions that haunted Shen's mind.

"Perhaps you wanted to say: he is recovering from the blow that Hua gave her by rushing them on!" Zhuang pointed out, unable to suppress a laugh. He had witnessed the whole scene and it was nothing short of hilarious! "Feel Shen ..." Wei drew the attention of the newcomer "... I guess these are not kitchen knives !?" He said pointing to the throwing knives of the white peacock. "Or that that is not an exhibition spear that you stole from some museum!" He nodded, remaining the same surprised "Are these humans so stupid? How did they not notice the weapons I hid in their clothes during that hateful medical examination? "He asked himself. "Can you fight?" The tone that Zhaung used to ask such a question did not promise anything good. "Some problems? I can defend myself, that's all! "Shen stated, unable to hide his growing concern. Was he in danger? At the moment he wouldn't even have been able to raise a wing, so the situation was in favor of the other two. This meant only one thing: he had to act with his head and not be guided by instinct! For this he remained in bed, pretending not to be frightened in the least, with the hope that the two would drink it. Before anyone else could speak a hurricane, I enter the room and overturn a table full of dishes. That hurricane was two young peacocks and Shen swore that his beak was completely wide open as he stared in disbelief at the two newcomers. "Nice to meet you, I am Yong, while he is Hong!" Said one "We are the twins!" They said in chorus. Both had their tails open and so Shen could see them well. Yong looked like a normal peacock, except for a white spot in the center of the tail just behind the head. Even the blue neck had a large white patch, as if a painter had forgotten to finish his work! Hong was just an incomplete job! His neck had a small blue patch and the rest was white, but what struck him was the tail! It was half normal, if he could call it that, since he had nothing different from another peacock, but the other half was completely white!

"How old are you?" He asked curiously. "Twenty-three ... pleasure, I'm Shen!" He answered automatically. "Think a little! We fifteen! "Yong said happily. "We remain the youngest of the group!" His brother exulted. "Guys now Shen must rest! You will get to know him better tomorrow and in the coming days! Hurry up, there's a curfew! "Wei said, gently pushing the two young men. "Poulter!" Hong said. "Breakers!" "We love you too! Night! "Zhuang said before closing the door. "Tomorrow we will find you an accommodation! For now, rest! "Wei said before turning off the candle and leaving the room. Shen put his head on the broken pillow. So many things had happened in so little time that he felt dizzy! He was not alone! They too were albinos ... more or less! No, it wasn't what struck him ... they were different, yet they didn't seem as unhappy as he felt! Perhaps they saw it from another point of view, like Mei? Could he also learn to love himself? Could he live life with happiness? To be understood! Don't be judged! He fell asleep happy after so long. He couldn't wait to meet others like him and make new friends! After all, this prison looked more like what it had always wanted, a home, a real family!

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It was the morning sun that, entering through the window, stroked his plumage with a thread of heat and made him wake up. Shen sat up. He felt much better! The wound still hurt, but not so much that it took his breath away. A part of the mattress next to him was still warm, a sign that someone had slept next to him. He was surprised by the fact that he didn't get angry at all with the idea, on the contrary, he was curious to find out who he was! Curiosity won over him a second time and although with difficulty, he left the house. The garden was splendid and immense. A little further on there was a forest, only there were a few trees scattered here and there and a multitude of bushes and flower beds full of flowers. Many houses were scattered among the vegetation. As he looked around, Shen felt the strange sensation of being observed. A Gong Men always happened, that's why he had become so adept at understanding when someone was staring at him. He turned and saw a large harlequin peacock. He was older than he. Evidence was the long mustache that hung from the sides of the beak and the serious but serene expression on his face, unlike the bursting energy of Hong and Yong! "Hi Shen, I'm Kang, the oldest peacock in the reserve!" Said the bird. "Reserve?" Asked Shen curiously, forgetting manners. "Yes, humans call our prison that way. It is a vast wooded area that allows us to move around comfortably, but the margins are covered with traps and high walls to prevent us from escaping! "The peacock explained. He had to be harlequin like the twins, only he had only a small white spot on his chest and on the tail he was "normal". Shen's legs gave way and he would have fallen to the ground if Kang hadn't caught him. That unwanted embrace turned out to be more pleasant than expected. The elderly peacock had an affectionate and delicate touch, just like what a father should have! Kang made him sit on a hollow log "Calm down and rest! When you feel like getting back on your feet, I'll walk you to bed! "Kang said, kneeling on the ground, but holding the young man unconscious firmly. Shen put his head on the peacock's shoulder and felt a new sensation crossing his guts as he lay between his wings, but he couldn't explain what it was! Suddenly he came back to himself and turned away abruptly. "S-sorry! "I haven't fully recovered from the trip yet!" Since when did you stutter? Shen mentally asked himself.

"Here, you have to eat if you want to come back in strength," said the elderly peacock, sitting down next to him and handing the boy a sweet treat. Shen accepted it very willingly and this reminded him of when he and Zhan had breakfast together at the palace. Races to those who finished their rations first, food wars ... perhaps, the wolf would have been the only one to miss him! Until he came back, of course! Although he was fully aware that it would take time to convince everyone and formulate a plan with a good chance of success! Shen noticed that Kang had just finished his ration and then quickly ate the dessert. Until that moment he had taken for granted the right to eat well and to satiety, but now that tart looked like the best gift in the world! Shen ardently hoped that things in the reserve were different from what he had faced during the trip! Kang smiled, offering him a secure support with a wing and accompanied him to their home, to the bed, and as soon as the white peacock found himself under the warm blankets he instantly fell into a peaceful sleep. "Brother! It's nice to see that when there are newcomers you are extremely early risers! It is from the dawn that you are here! "Said Wei laughing" You who are expert: can he recover? "Zhuang asked as soon as he left his room. "Sure! We just need to disinfect the wound regularly and ... "" I didn't mean that! "The green peacock interrupted Kang with a scowl. "He is terrified of creating new ties, but I saw that he yearns to be loved! If Mei has told the truth, it will be difficult, but in the end he will stop despising himself and he will love himself for what he is and maybe he will be able to trust "Kang said seriously observing the sleeping white peacock. "Good because I don't want it to end up like the last time!" Zhuang said nervously. Kang sighed. The episode to which the green peacock referred had happened a short time before. A jackal had been captured that had nothing to do with anything. No one knew the reason for such action on Derek's part, but everyone had decided to welcome it, but it was. But the canid knew how to fight! He had wounded many animals before the reserve guards intervened by killing him. In there everyone was peaceful and that scared them a lot. Now a new warrior had arrived! With the only difference that he was different too! Kang hoped with all his heart that he could become a reference guide for him as he was for many of those present.

Only then did he notice the absence of the young cat named Mei. She was also young, but she was much more sociable and open than the peacock. "Brother!" He called out to Kang. From a corridor Wei peeped out with his face shaped like a question mark "While I prepare lunch you could call my children who have been hanging around all morning!" He said resignedly. "I'm surprised we haven't called in the guards yet for some of their stunts, instead!" Wei said, coming out at a fast pace. "Let me guess ... I have to go and see where the newcomer ended up?" Zhuang said that he had just come down from the upper floor. "We will not be blood relatives, but we understand each other perfectly brother!" Kang said, laughing amused by the fact that his friend had no words to understand his desires.

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An imposing castle overlooked this vast expanse of vegetation, where the animals lived. It was very old, but no less resistant. Derek lived there since an idea, considered absurd by all, had crossed his mind: to have under his control unique animals, so that everyone could admire them! It was not bad, given that in these times the extravagant attracted people like bees with honey! He was now a powerful and respected gentleman. There was only one thing that did not go as planned: the heir! As a control freak he had spent years thinking how to instruct his son, how to feed the genius he would inherit from him, only to be miserably disappointed when his wife had given him a girl! She had been punished for this, but not by him, no. She had simply died in childbirth! A secondary problem had presented itself with the blood of his own blood since the daughter had an opposite character with respect to his: always kind and smiling, ready to help others! He had that sickly pity for a man like him! For a long time Derek had tried to make that heart warm and young, cold and devoid of pity, but without success. So for now he was concerned about expanding his collection by teaching his daughter how to handle the affairs of the kingdom. Yes, he was the adviser to the sovereign of those lands and even if he was already thinking about a plan to increase his power, he wanted Rose to show himself up to the family name! More than a name, it was the way everyone called him since he had begun to expose the rare pieces of the collection to the public: he was the collector! Yet his descendant had proved extremely valuable for his work. It was thanks to her that he had succeeded in instilling terror into the hearts of animals, it was thanks to her if he had managed to emerge victorious against the numerous dangers that threatened that world full of anthropomorphic animals! Rose could talk to them. He understood what they were saying, he didn't hear only verses and this proved him the first time he went with his father on a mission. Thanks to her it was enough to establish the price with her parents and pay to be able to get what she asked for, that is a very rare white lion cub in that case.

Derek could not tell if he had developed this ability simply because he had grown up alongside these animals or simply by divine grace. For a while he had asked, now he was only interested in helping him become richer and more powerful. Of course, this did not mean that he did not keep it as the most precious treasure! During the missions he made her disguise as a man and had them translated for him by making sure that the animals did not discover that, indeed, he did not understand an accident of what they were growling, croaking, chirping ... and more ! "My Lord!" His old right hand man remained perfectly efficient. "Yes, Mrs. Carmela?" He asked, with not much interest. "The white peacock that arrived last night is responding well to first care. In a few days we could expose it to the public ". "Tell me ma'am, how many peacocks do we have in the reserve?" Derek asked as he scanned the vegetation that extended before his own balcony. "Thirty-six ladies! And fifty other animals, for a total of eighty-six! "The secretary replied as she checked the numbers written on the register. "I promised I would get to the hundreds. I still miss nineteen unique animals! Too many! We need to speed up the times. I ask you a simple question: how many puppies have we sold in these years? "Derek asked. "A few hundred ladies!" Said Mrs. Carmela in confusion. "If we hadn't sold any animals we would have already reached that figure, then!" The man complained. "Lord! You know that travel expenses are huge! We had to do something to support them! "The lady protested, trying to remind her lord of the reasoning she had made years before. "I aim for high numbers. But to prevent others from having the same brilliant idea, I made sure that those puppies would never grow up and now I find myself in desperate need of them! Isn't it ironic? "He asked with a hint of Derek sarcasm.

"My Lord!" A servant announced himself as he came running "The King arrived along with Prince William. They wait for you in the throne room! "The poor man said panting. "What does the King want?" The secretary asked her boss in surprise. "I requested the meeting!" Said Derek "C-how? Why? Business is going well! "Asked Mrs. Carmela worriedly as she could do nothing but look worriedly at her boss. Would his thirst for power ever cease? He replied calmly "Even if I am at the head of the project I must request the approval of our sovereign ..." he replied as he walked towards the entrance of the balcony "... and I will have it, do not worry!" Derek said disappearing over the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**FAMILY**

First morning! Cold and hot together! The sun that could cook you like a pancake is thwarted by the cold of the night which forces you to turn with a blanket on you! If Mei had had a sweater he would have put that on. Instead now he had to turn like a bummer for that ... place! Fortunately they were not at all criticized there! All those who had seen from afar had reserved a warm smile or a greeting with their hands! He was stunned when he saw a huge white buffalo watering the plants in his garden. "Day!" The cat said timidly. "Look look! The newcomer! Pleasure I am Ning, you must be Mei! "Said the bovine laying some gardening tools. "Either they made an official announcement, or this place is so small that the news spreads in less than twelve hours!" Mei said still awed by the enormous size of the stranger. "No small! Very few new animals are caught and when it happens we all gather together to decide where to build their new home. I heard they took another peacock! "Ning said sitting on a boulder. "Yes, it's called Shen! He was abandoned by his family! "Mei replied wondering why he was saying that particular. "You were abandoned too?" Asked the buffalo. She nodded her head. "You are lucky! My parents sold me to these wicked humans when I was just a puppy! Bring the good memories of your memory forever! Guard them as the most precious treasure because it is what they are! But live life to the full and happily because I'm sure that's what they wanted! "Ning said strangely cheerful. "Thank you!" Said Mei, who suddenly felt extremely happy. He ran away immediately after making a respectful bow.

The feline stopped at the door of the house where his friend was when he saw a stranger with a familiar appearance! A peacock was passing a damp patch on Shen's forehead which seemed to be sound asleep. "Day!" Mei said timidly. The stranger turned and smiled at her. How could prisoners be so happy? He had to find out! This would be his main goal! "Hello Mei, my name is Kang and I am the oldest resident of the reserve who is the vast wooded area in which humans have locked us up!" The peacock explained. The colors of Kang were splendid, except for the white desire on the chest ... and on the tail. There! Yes, that was the one who had welcomed them on arrival! Mei wandered around the room for a long time, before sitting on the edge of the bed and watching Shen. "How are you?" He asked worriedly. "It will recover! He just needs a lot of rest! "Kang replied as he checked a large pot on the fire. The white peacock began to stir in its sleep. Mei stared at him, not knowing what to do. In his entire life he had lived with his parents and they had always taken care of her, so she wasn't very good at taking care of others! Kang sat next to Shen and began to gently massage his belly. Mei stared at the strange scene. Why would a stranger take so much interest in another stranger? Then he realized: that old peacock knew what Shen was going through! Apparently the youngest had recently been abandoned by his family and perhaps he too had passed by! He was offering free support, understanding and love without asking for anything in return! Everyone in the reserve respected him, which was why he had made the speech upon their arrival. From the beginning Mei had not shown fear in front of him. Her instinct told her she could trust. Now he also understood why: Kang behaved like a loving parent! Even though she was great for such attention she had never scorned them and now that her parents had died, she missed them! But that peacock was unique! He did not know Shen, yet he treated him as if he had raised him and he was extremely kind to her too. It seemed that Shen thought the same way because he calmed down almost immediately and continued to sleep peacefully.

Kang went to the back garden and returned to the room with a rag in his hand. Mei looked around. It was all united, living room with kitchen, but still remained very pretty as a home. The second floor also had to be inspected, but since she was a prisoner there was time to look around! "Lunch is ready, go and take a seat before my children eat everything!" Kang said, lifting the pot and heading towards the back garden. Lunch? But if she hadn't even had breakfast! She must have been really exhausted from sleeping until so late! Mei followed him and was unable not to remain open-mouthed at such a spectacle: twelve peacocks were in front of her! They were all unique thanks to their plumage and recognized Wei and Zhuang sitting next to a lady who was the only one besides the two to be an adult. So to speak, given that the others had to be all between the age of twenty ... apart from two boys who seemed to be between sixteen or eighteen! Among the young there were only three girls and they also had a singular plumage. He sat down next to a black peacock and had to make an enormous effort not to fix it, so he began to examine the cutlery as if they were an important archaeological discovery! "Guys she is ..." "Mei!" A chorus of voices interrupted the peacock. "Where are the manners? Introduce yourself! "Kang said sternly. "Nice to meet you, my name is Fai!" He said who was at the side of the cat. "I am Yong and he is my twin brother Hong!" One of the two boys said embracing his brother affectionately. "Nice to meet you I'm Shuang the big sister of these two earthquakes!" A young white peacock said. "Very pleased, my name is Juan and I am a cameo peacock!" A bird said whose plumage looked brown. "I am Dong the opal peacock!" Said another bird whose colors were not extremely bright, in fact, not at all! "To complete the collection there is me, the specifying peacock named Tai!" He happily said a green and brown peacock.

"What are you saying? My sister and I are the highlight! My name is Xian, while she is my elder sister Xing! "Said a completely white peacock while affectionately clutching the wing of a peacock also of the same color. "Wei and Zhuang has already known them, so let me introduce you to my wife Lu-Chu!" Kang said as he sat beside his beloved. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mei! We had heard of you, the Bo bat, Shen and the wolf Syaoran many days ago, but only now the master has allowed you to join us! " "With Shen you do the amazing fourteen number! I had never seen so many peacocks gathered in one place! Let's say that the first peacock of my life I met him only a few days ago! "Mei said starting to eat a delicious rice. "His name is Shen, isn't it?" Xian asked curiously. "Yes, but I've known him for very little! It was the last one to be captured before they brought us here! "Mei said immediately after finishing his plate. "Can I ask you a question?" Felina asked. "You just did it!" Fai said and then put a wing in front of his beak in a desperate attempt to stifle the laughter for his joke. The eyes of the others urged her to talk so Mei continued "Why did you invite me to eat with you if I'm not part of the family? I mean, I'm a feline, not a bird, let alone a peacock! "Mei said perplexed. "Darling, it doesn't matter! You are very young and because of this I believed you could make friends with some of my children to better settle in! "Lu-Chu said as he affectionately clutched her husband's wing. "Oh!" The cat exclaimed in surprise. "To contradict your assertion of before, there are thirty-six peacocks in the reserve!" Fai said once the plate was emptied. "And as icing on the cake I tell you a fantastic thing!" Xian said that he was doing his best not to laugh "There is a peacock almost identical to Shen in the reserve!" "Are you serious?" Mei asked in surprise. "Yes! Even if the red of his feathers is slightly darker than Shen's! "Xing said, sending a reproachful look to his brother.

"It's called Sheng!" Yong said jumping on the chair "But he already knew about Shen's arrival!" Hong continued "And he can't wait to meet him!" Yong concluded.

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Once lunch was over, Mei found herself in the middle of a game of hide and seek. It was surprise! Because given their age he believed that boys didn't want to play such a childish game, but the entreaties and pleading looks of the twins finally got the better of them! "Three ... two ... one ... arrival!" The feline screamed before starting to run through the thick vegetation at the back of the house. He moved fast and silent and finally saw something! He had misfired! It was just a white feather! Given the large number of white peacocks, she couldn't be surprised, but she wondered how the hell she couldn't find them! They were white for jupiter! Most of them at least! But among the green shrubs they would have had to jump to the eye even before ... he could not finish the thought that fell ruinously to the ground. What had he stumbled into? Or rather, in whom, since the fall was followed by an offended voice "It is not at all nice to trample on other people's tails!" Yong complained, poking his head out from a pile of dry leaves. "Sorry ... I didn't see you!" Mei said, unable not to blush. "If you thought we would make it easy just because you are new, then you are mistaken!" Yong said taking off his leaves.

"It's easy! See how I find them all in less than half an hour! "Mei said proud and stubborn as ever. The boy laughed and decided to go to his brother aware that the newcomer would lose the bet. Even if they were prisoners the dangers were not lacking and they had all developed an excellent camouflage technique in order to escape those poachers who, out of pure luck, managed to sneak into the reserve! "Is anybody there?" A voice made stronger by the echo caught his attention. Yong stopped in front of a natural hole in the ground near a tree. "The bad wolf!" He replied merrily to the question before. "The newcomer is messed up!" He hummed as he saw Mei sitting on the bottom. "Stop making jokes! I just realized that walking without looking ahead is extremely dangerous! Wouldn't you be helping me out, please? "Mei asked pridefully. "All right! Stand on that root and grab my wing! "Yong finally said. Somehow the young man managed to pull her out of that hole and the feline, after thanking him, resumed her work, even more motivated than before: in order not to show that she was incapable she would have found them all in even less time than she had previously

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Shen woke up with a great hunger and with surprise saw that a steaming plate was already on the cabinet beside the bed. As he ate he heard voices coming from the room above "We have to build houses and they think of hide-and-seek!" I think Mei will do well a little distracted! And above all, for now we have a free place for each of the new arrivals, so we can act calmly! "A strange but feminine voice said. "So you would be Shen!" The voice startled him and Shen could not suppress a groan of pain at having suddenly stiffened and thus strained the healing wound. He turned and really believed he was dreaming. A peacock almost identical to him stood in front of him. Black beak and red eyes, although the red of the feathers of the head and irises was not as bright as his own, but the resemblance remained the same astonishing! "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am Sheng!" The stranger said. Shen sat up and put his mobile plate down. "My pleasure! Forgive my confusion, but it does something to note how similar we are! "Shen said, unable to stop studying him through his eyes. "I understand you! I didn't fully believe Yong and Hong's words so far! "Sheng replied. "Did they both tell you about me?" Shen asked curiously. "The most unlikely news arrives and spreads in this place only thanks to them! To make you understand: they knew of your arrival together with the other two new ones, three days before you arrived! "Sheng explained. "How is this possible!" Shen asked, unable to mask the surprise in his own voice "I think it's because they are good at eavesdropping! The guards guarding this place have a long tongue! "Sheng said. "Humans?" Shen asked. The other nodded.

"I see you showed up!" Wei said as he came down to the ground floor. Shen stood up. "Look, you should stay at rest again ... or if you want you can go out for a walk!" He corrected the purple peacock seeing the young man ignore him completely and then go out. "How long have you been here?" Shen asked Sheng. "Since I was three! Kang raised me! My brothers arrived with the passage of time, others were already there! "The other answered as he looked at nature. "Brothers?" Shen asked. "Yes, not of blood, but the two older peacocks in the reserve, Kang and Tai, have raised us, forming, with their wives, two great distinct families," Sheng explained. "I understand!" Shen said only. A sound of hurried footsteps and Shen saw someone pass so fast that he could only see a black spot, and immediately afterwards Mei followed him, begging the stranger to stop. Both went into the bush and the cries of the feline became weaker and weaker as it moved away. That place was really immense! "That was Fai, the bronze colored peacock!" Sheng said answering many questions from Shen. "How many prisoners are there besides me and you?" Shen asked curiously. "Many! I've never counted them, but we're not few! Every captured animal is rare and unique, or simply, Derek, our master, likes it! "Sheng said. Shen felt his anger rise in his chest at the mention of the word "master". He didn't belong to anyone! Let alone a slimy human! He was about to respond when Mei's words came back to him: "Now think about surviving, then we'll take care of the escape plan!" Yes! He had to concentrate without letting himself panic and think clearly. If he had attracted human attention he would have been less free to act! He decided to change the subject and Mei helped him find a rather effective way. "What were those two doing? A speed race? "He asked curiously. "No, they were playing hide and seek! I was at Tai, that's why I didn't join them! "Sheng replied.

"To play? Is that how you spend your time? "Shen asked bored and surprised at the same time. "No! The younger ones enjoy provoking the guards and playing among themselves! But if you want to pass the time there are many things to do here! "Sheng replied. "Like?" Shen asked more and more curiously. "Fishing, gardening, growing fruit and vegetables, chopping wood and building furniture, planning the construction of new homes for newcomers ...! Not forgetting the trips in the village! "At that statement Shen raised his crest and bent his head to the side asking for an explanation through his eyes. "We were captured to be pieces of a unique collection! This is why Derek occasionally makes us admire in the village when humans hold parties or set up big stalls to sell! They keep us in chains, yes! But it is one of the rare moments during which we leave this place and give us the chance to see the world around us with our eyes! "Sheng said that he understood the silent question of the other. "Look Shen, I have to go now! We need to start building homes for newcomers, including you! You go home that you still have to recover from the journey, see you around! "Sheng said before disappearing into the thick vegetation. This Derek was wicked! He had deluded himself into living well while holding them in chains and segregated in a large cage! As soon as he recovered, he would have made it clear once and for all the grave mistake that that human had made in threatening his parents and capturing him! "What an ugly wax! Does the wound still hurt or did you just wake up badly? "Mei asked making him lose ten years in ten milliseconds. "But you ... weren't you playing ?!" Shen asked, unable to contain a grin. "Yes! And in the end I swept! Are you good at hiding yourself? Because they made the task much harder for me than I could have imagined! "Mei said happily. "I'll do it! I noticed that you met new friends! "Shen said, trying to hide his impatience. He too burned with the desire to meet as many animals as possible! "Are cute! Especially Yong and Hong ... they completely repainted Xian! "The feline explained, unable not to laugh.

"I don't follow you!" Shen admitted raising the crest. "Xian is a white peacock and the two pests have thought of using it as a canvas, spilling the entire contents of a barrel full of blue paint on them! It was hilarious! "Mei said trying to hold back the laughter. "I've already met the two young hurricanes! What do you say if you introduce me to everyone you've met so far tonight? "Shen asked. "Tonight? Why not now? "Mei asked in amazement. "I am very tired and the injury still causes me a lot of trouble, so I prefer to rest in order to meet the other animals in the reserve later," Shen said, starting to head towards his new home. "All right! See you tonight then, I have to go and see if someone else has turned into a painting! " twins joke.


	6. Chapter 6

**WE ARE HAPPY**

There was a festive air in the reserve. The various animals, after cooking for most of the afternoon, were heading towards the main square where large events were usually held and where they were far enough from the eyes of the guards who guarded the borders, to give them a little sensation of privacy. Mei had spent most of her time at Hua's house. Her presence had not been very helpful since, not knowing the recipe for owl sweets, she had failed to help her much with the preparation. But in spite of everything he could have known her better, as well as finding something that would pass the time faster in view of the party that would take place that evening. Hua was young and despite everything they were similar enough to make the feline think she could establish a long and lasting friendship with her. Moreover, the owl had clarified many doubts and explained some of the rules of the reserve, as well as telling her about some extraordinary facts, or rather ... that they considered such! From what he had understood it was a custom to celebrate the arrival of new animals. And it could also be years between one arrival and another, in fact, she and the others were the first to be captured after so many years during which not even one arrival was recorded! It would have been better if the time had continued to increase for poor Mei, while she was thinking about her family, but since she did not intend to be overwhelmed by the disastrous events of the last few months she had decided to try, at least, to settle down and make new friends. While waiting patiently for Hua to finish tidying up all the sweets on the cart with which he would transport them, Mei realized the large number of felines in the reserve. Lions, pumas, servals, tigers ... there was even another leopard! Indeed, two if you really wanted to be fussy. But what struck her most was the learning of the disproportionately high number of peacocks in the reserve! Surely Shen wouldn't be bored!

Unfortunately the preparations made sure that everyone ran from one side of the forest to the other to better organize the party. So the feline had not yet spoken to any of them, apart from Ning, but it would soon be redone as soon as evening came. Hopeful of having a pleasant evening, Mei entered Hua's house, wishing to be able to help at least in the transport of sweets.

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It was dark in that country soon. Or Shen had slept more than expected. Zhuang and Wei had given him clean clothes, and even though cotton didn't drive him crazy, he had finally decided to change. The infection had passed, and even though the wound still hurt, it was quite bearable. He stood for several minutes staring at his weapons, undecided whether to take them with him or not. Finally he put the metal gloves on his feet and placed the blades in a bag hanging on his belt tied to his waist, leaving only the guan dao in the house. The precaution was never too much for a place that still did not know well! Kang was waiting for him outside and at his side there was a beautiful peacock. "Shen, I am pleased to introduce you to my wife Lu-Chu!" Kang said with a warm smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you my lady! I am ... Shen! "The white peacock said with a bow. He had decided to keep his true identity secret, but he wouldn't forget his manners! "Shen bow is not needed! Even for me it is nice to know you and above all to see that you are recovering! Once in the reserve the humans don't touch us anymore, so you can feel comfortable! "Lu-Chu said before walking towards the meeting point. "Now that you are back in strength, we have decided to organize a dinner together to give you the chance to meet as many people as possible and make sure that others also know you!" Kang said after a while that they were walking. "I will try to get to know as many people as possible!" Shen said, trying to mask the curiosity that was devouring him. "I don't think you will succeed! We are so many! "Lu-Chu said, laughing. There! The dear little wife had given the coup de grace! Shen had to use all his self-control not to start running towards the clearing where everyone had gathered as soon as he saw her in the distance. He was no longer a child, but it was the first time in a long time that excitement took over!

Once there, Kang invited him to stand next to Mei and the other two newcomers on a large boulder so they could see the others and be seen. "Brothers and friends of mine, they have recently joined our great family! Let me introduce you: Shen, Mei, Syaoran and Bo! "The peacock said, indicating the four newcomers. "Let's try to welcome them the best!" A peacock said between the green and the brown, coming forward "I am Tai, the specifying peacock. I welcome you! And I toast in your honor so you can start a new, happy and long life! "Tai said raising a glass. Everyone imitated him and was delighted. "Do they have alcohol?" Mei asked Shen. "You'll find that not all humans are as wicked as those you traveled with!" One of them has sympathy with us. It is only thanks to him that we have been granted things that we could not even remotely think of before! "A black peacock explained as he approached. "He is Fai! One of Tai's sons! "Mei said. Shen greeted him but concentrated on all the others present. There were numerous cats, birds, reptiles and cattle! If they weren't albinos like him they were still one of a kind! But the thing that struck him most was seeing so many white peacocks! Now he understood why humans called Derek "the collector"! Anyone would have laughed at receiving the news of the existence of so many albino peacocks, because it was unthinkable that a large number existed since they were extremely rare. "So you would be the new one!" Tai said approaching Shen with a big smile on his beak. "Yes, but apparently I'm not the only white peacock in existence ..." Shen replied, not knowing whether to be friendly or hostile. "No, you are unique only in spirit! I met your friend, she told me you are a warrior! "Tai said from whose eyes only a great curiosity shone through." If I may ask, who were you before you came here? ". Shen trembled at that question, but tried to come up with an answer quickly so as not to make the peacock suspicious. "Just a mercenary looking for some fruitful work to allow me to get by. Fighting has allowed me to get by in all these years ... Until now! "Said Shen, trying to look as casual as possible in an attempt to mask his lie. "I don't think you've ever met humans before! I also have to admit that Derek proved very smart in catching his prey! This is why nobody in China is aware of the existence of his race! My name is Chao and I am Tai's younger brother! "A green peacock said, however, with most of the eyes of the large tail feathers, white. "And he is Feng!" Tai added, pointing to a black peacock with the same characteristic of Chao for when it concerned his long rump-like coverts. "Enchanted!" Shen said with a sail of sarcasm that the others didn't guess. Because he really was! They weren't white, but something "strange" they had too! "We apologize, this evening was organized to allow you and other newcomers to make new friends. There are many other boys your age, go and meet them, we will have time to talk, "Tai said as he headed towards the large buffet that was in the center of the square. Shen made to reach Mei but was blocked by two white peacocks "Pleasure Shen! I am Xian and she is my elder sister Xing! " The peacock smiled "And there is also Lang Min!" He added pointing to another female with bright colors, in stark contrast to his own. Shen turned and remained speechless in front of Lang Min, a young lady whose youth accentuated the feminine features of the body and the bright colors of her plumage. "I can't be bought, but I can be stolen at a glance. They are worthless for one, but priceless for two. What are they? "Sheng asked, coming up from practically nothing. "I hate riddles!" Shen said, looking badly at his twin. "The love! Can I ask you why you can always do riddles that have nothing to do with the speech ?! "Xian asked. "You believe it!" Sheng insisted. "You heard Chu!" "Certainly Zhi!" Two peacocks ... partially white. The first having a blue spot on the neck as well as for the tail, but green and being white for the rest. The second one, on the other hand, was only slightly blue in color on the neck, with beautiful snow white coverts. "Arrogance is an obvious weakness in you!" Zhi said. "It is clear that Shen does not have much experience with females, otherwise he would not be so rigid!" "Shut up!" Sheng said, very tempted to make the two young people eat their own words again.

"Congratulations! You are the tops in putting people at ease! "Xing reproached them. "It's an innate gift!" Chu said proudly. "Already! Also don't understand the sarcasm ... apparently! "Xian said, barely holding back the laughter. "Jiang, Jun! Come here to meet Shen! "Sheng shouted, calling two other white peacocks. "They are brothers! Jiang is one year older than Jun! "Zhi said presenting the two newcomers to Shen. "Pleasure!" The brothers said in chorus. Jiang barely had a few green feathers, as well as Jun, whose color, however, was black. "Thank you for this warm welcome. I hope our friendships can do nothing but get stronger before we get out of here! "Shen said. "Get out?" Xian asked confused. "Impossible!" Chu admitted. "Nothing is impossible!" Shen contradicted him. "You have something in mind!" Jun said, looking at the newcomer so deeply that he was uncomfortable. "You can be an investigator when you grow up!" Jiang scoffed. "If you have it you can share it, if you share it you don't have it. Said Shuang. "Please don't answer!" Xian said, praying to everyone present. "The food!" Xing answered, completely ignoring his brother. "Any object!" Jun said. "But are you serious?" Jiang asked his brother, looking at him wrong. "Was I wrong?" He asked confused. "It's the secret! Geni! "Xian replied that he always managed to get the prompt answer to Sheng's puzzles. "Hey! It is not our fault that his riddles are complicated! "Jun protested. "You should be more patient with their brother!" Xing scolded him. "But I don't have it with them! Only with Sheng's puzzles! "Xian complained. "When they are too light, nobody accepts them!" Sheng said before starting to run through the trees chased by a furious Xian. "Those two live a relationship that oscillates between love and hate, even if the second one gets the upper hand most of the time!" Chu said before starting to eat a dumpling. "Xing, Jun, Jiang and Zhi!" Chu called them. The respondents turned around. "I would say we have to explain something vital to Shen, don't you think?" The peacock asked with an extremely serious air to make Shen worry. "What is it?" He asked more anxiously than the latter. Despite suspicions, Shen eventually followed his new friends to a destination that only they seemed to know.

Despite the darkness the full moon shining in the sky made the ground visible so that none of the group fell badly to the ground. Shen saw a huge stone building appear in front of them after about twenty minutes of walking. Chu waved him down and followed him and he obeyed. At the base of that wall there was a large iron gate that most likely served as an entrance for those who came from the outside world. Shen felt cold when he saw two humans with large spears in their hands guarding. "They are Fred and Mike, the twins' favorite targets!" Zhi said as he lurked close to Chu and Shen, hiding in a large bush a few feet away from the guards. "Targets?" Shen asked perplexed "Did you hear about Xian !?" Chu asked. Shen nodded. "Well, those two know well what happened to Hong and Yong! They are the humans who spend more time in the reserve than all the others, it was enough for the twins to memorize their movements to be able to make a joke! "Zhi explained. "You males always get lost in chatter!" Xing complained reaching them "This is a valuable lesson for newcomers! Watch carefully! "He then said to Shen. He obeyed and saw Jun and Jiang approach the humans with all the calm of the world. "What are we starting with?" Asked the first one. "Do not panic! It's just a demonstration! "The second replied. The guards immediately stood at attention, scanning the two birds as if they were extremely dangerous. For their part, the peacocks kept a safe distance. Humans had spears, better not risk it. They began to speak out loud "Where does salmon reproduce?" Asked Jun "In the river where he was born!" Replied Jiang and then burst out laughing with his brother. "Wait!" Jun said. "I don't move!" Jiang took him around. "The evil that no bird can suffer!" The child said. "I know! I know! ... "the major seemed to have the answer, but he couldn't catch it! "Of course! Toothache! "Jiang finally said with enthusiasm to start laughing with his brother again. While the two peacocks were told of cooked and raw Shen heard the humans making bizarre comments "How come we ended up here?" He asked who was called Fred "To guard the birds?" Mike asked stroking the thick beard.

"Exactly!" Fred confirmed. "A divine punishment, it seems!" The other distraught replied. "Not only during the day, but even at night these nuisances have to squawk like crazy!" Fred complained. "Do you understand?" Chun asked Shen. He asked a question to confirm his suspicions "They don't understand us?" You can tease them, insult them as much as you like and they will never react! "Zhi said as if it were the most beautiful thing in the world, which apparently was ... "But Derek ... he spoke ... with me!" Shen said, not fully understanding. "He doesn't even understand a single word! There is only one human who has this ability and who thanks to it has become a friend of ours! "Chu explained, Shen grimaced at the mention of the word "friend". "_Yes, a friend who locked you up in a huge cage_!" He reluctantly thought of making such a relationship with those hairless and featherless beings!

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What do you notice immediately? Certainly not the absence of some white peacocks! Especially from Shen! But Mei tried not to give himself too much thought, convincing himself that it was much better for him to make new friends. It was an attempt to be brave to talk to someone ... anyone! Before now he had never had to interact with anyone outside his family! Right, there had been the journey in the company of Shen, but apart from that nothing else! Mei had always avoided the crowded places so as not to clash with the malevolent voices on her singular mantle and in the surprised looks of passers-by. But now things had changed completely! Most probably most of the animals, since they had grown up in that place, had never lived through his experiences and maybe they didn't even know what a prejudice was because they seemed to be united among themselves! On the one hand it was nice to think that they had never been called monsters by other people, but on the other hand it was sad to think that they had lived all their lives in the reserve! A large place, with friends and loved ones, but still a cage! She was distracted by her thoughts from an extremely familiar voice "Hi!" There! As usual, the others took the first step! Mei mentally cursed herself. "Ning! What a pleasure to be able to meet you again! "The feline said contentedly, only to feel frightened finding herself in front of a buffalo slightly smaller than the enormous bison. "Nice to meet you, I'm Pei! While she is you! A rare specimen of Golden Tiger incapable of hiding or camouflaging itself with the environment, since I perceived its presence without even having to turn around! "The bovine said, pointing to a tail that emerged from behind him. "I hate you!" The cat said, coming out of her hiding place and crossing her arms over her chest. "I too have problems camouflaging myself!" Mei admitted pointing to her white coat "But not to let me notice!" She said before tipping a glass full of wine over poor Pei. "I told you it was cheeky! Do you have to pay? "Ning said enthusiastically. Mei asked a silent question to her with a look, which she understood and immediately replied: "Bets! It's one of our ways of spending time! In addition to breaking each other's boxes! " "Two minds are better than one right !?" he asked, grinning. "We will become great friends! I feel it! "She said with euphoria.

**And here are the new chapters! In this I started presenting many new characters and I hope you don't get confused!**

**See you soon, **

**Laura**


	7. Chapter 7

**A DIFFERENT HUMAN**

The big day had arrived! He ran fast through the corridors of the building, his bare feet making little noise on the cold marble, necessary to prevent anyone from hearing and stopping it. Whenever new animals arrived her father forbade her to enter the reserve to play with her brothers because she still considered them too wild to leave them free, especially near her! No sense for Rose! In the end she had managed to elude the guards and now she was running fast towards the great gate that separated her kingdom from that wonderful world. It took him longer than expected to open the iron door simply because his hands were shaking with emotion and he had momentarily forgotten which was the right key ... Once inside he saw the young Yong and Hong run towards her. "Hi Rose!" Said the first. "It's been five days since you showed up! Are you punished? "The second asked. "No, I just had a lot of things to do, excuse me!" The young woman lied. She had promised never to report the malicious rumors that revolved around them in the realm of humans. She didn't want to be the one to make them suffer! "We've run out of color!" Hong protested. Bright red, please! "Yong explained. The girl laughed. She had been punished more than once for helping the two young peacocks with their jokes, but since one in particular had succeeded, she had been unable to stop!

The story he thought of went back to when the two peacocks were eight and she was only five. They had taken a barrel full of ink and placed it in precarious balance on the beam of the reserve entrance door. The first guard who had even touched the handle would have become an artistic masterpiece! Too bad the victim was his father! Derek was not stupid, he knew that the animals had managed to do such a thing only thanks to the help of their daughter, since they possessed the bare minimum to live and the ink was not of vital importance, especially such a quantity! Spending a week in the dungeons of the castle had not been a good experience at all, but the joy and enjoyment of such a success had completely conquered Rose, who since then has not missed an opportunity to plot with the two young peacocks. For this he winked at his friends, which in their secret language meant yes. Perhaps it was not so unique their ways of communicating since, many times, the older animals had managed to sabotage absolutely perfect plans just because they had caught those signals! "So where is he?" Rose asked impatiently. "I was going to ask you the same question, but for the ink!" Yong replied, looking at the human with curiosity. Perhaps he already knew the answer ... "The new peacock! I wish I could meet him! "Her friend explained. Full center! Yong led her to her father's house.

Anyone who met greeted the young human with respect and happiness and she returned with equally affection. Perhaps her fellow men thought her strange, but it was for the simple fact that among her animal friends she felt at home! They stopped behind a bush not far from the entrance to the house to study the situation. A white peacock and a leopard were arguing animatedly about something ... the three were too far away to understand a single word! "Wait! That's Sheng! Where is the newcomer? "Rose asked impatiently. "You are spying on my friend! That's Shen! He comes from a distant place called Cuno! "Said Hong" What are you saying! It was Cita! "Yong protested" Yes ... sure, like no! The word city without double and accent! "Hong scoffed." If anything, it is your brain that has no memory! "His brother accused him. "Guys! Don't help me if you start the first Punic war on the mainland! "Rose said trying to appease the two litigants. "Sometimes you say nonsense!" Yong observed. "You are the one who is ignorant! Now come forward and introduce me! "The human said, pushing the peacock slightly to encourage him. "But if you want to meet him, go there and introduce yourself!" Hong complained. "Yes, but you already know it, so you are the best one to introduce it to me!" Rose insisted. "If we talk in these terms, it is our father who spent more time together, so it's his turn!" He challenged Yong as he pointed his paws on the ground, resisting.

"Guys!" All three jumped at hearing that voice. "What are you doing there? You know it's not okay to eavesdrop on others' speeches! "Zhuang said that he had noticed them from the window and had come down to check on that suspicious behavior. Shen approached the green peacock and waited with him for the two young men to come out into the open, while Mei, terrified by a possible joke by the twins, wisely decided to leave. "We were not eavesdropping!" Of Hong defenses coming out of the bush. "We were in the middle of a conflict of interest!" Yong pointed out as he stood beside his brother. "What interests?" Zhuang asked curiously. "Only my own to the newcomers!" Rose said coming out of the closet. Shen jumped and pulled away abruptly. A human was there in front of him! Maybe he could have killed her to show that he didn't bend to anyone, but seeing how close he was to the twins he knew he couldn't do it! "Nice to Shen, I'm Rose!" She said as she did what she thought was a reverence, but in Shen's eyes it seemed to be a clumsy demonstration. When Rose realized that the white peacock was not going to utter a word, she tried to start a speech "How are you? ... you know, m-I'm sorry how they treated you during the trip!" But both you and the others see that you are recovering quickly! ... "the girl said putting both hands in her pockets and raising her shoulders in obvious embarrassment. "_Congratulations Rose! Remind him of the nightmare journey he did without you doing anything to help him!"_ His conscience always made itself felt too late!

Shen kept looking at her badly, so she tried again "Your house was beautiful! Are you of noble lineage? "He asked repenting immediately when the peacock replied shouting" YOU ARE NOT YOUR BUSINESS! ". Rose took three steps back, discouraged. Some of the animals had shown themselves hostile to him at the beginning, but over time he had managed to create a bond of friendship with each of them. There had to be a meeting ground even with Shen or she was no longer called Rose! "I think the visit ends now!" Zhuang said, standing in front of the girl with a look that didn't allow for replies. She nodded and started for the exit followed by the twins. As the human disappeared from view the green peacock turned to Shen. "Try to control yourself next time!" He said sternly "Should I pretend nothing happened?" The white peacock asked furiously "She's a child! It is certainly not his fault that his father caught us! "Zhuang insisted" No child is innocent because of his father's faults! " "It also applies to your ... that didn't educate you properly!" Thundered Zhuang. Shen winced, but recovered almost immediately "Do you think I still care about him? They have wronged me and I will remedy it! ". "How?" Asked Zhuang curious "It's none of your business!" Shen said. The green peacock found nothing to respond to and stared at it. After an infinite time he spoke "My parents abandoned me in an orphanage!" Shen's eyes widened and his beak cracked open. "I'll never know why! Didn't they want me? Did they have no way to breed me? ... maybe your parents really abandoned you, but don't deny them! They will always be part of you! And remember you will never be alone here! We help each other and protect each other! "Zhuang said putting a wing on the young man's shoulder.

"... I didn't want to seem indelicate! I didn't know your story and ... I spoke inappropriately, driven by anger! Master Rino has always told me to act and speak lucidly without letting feelings take over, but it's easier said than done! "Shen said, finding himself in difficulty in the face of so many confidence. He barely knew him and had already started talking about his past! Perhaps it was an attempt to get more confidence with him, but obviously the green peacock had not yet understood who he was dealing with! "Who is the Master Rino?" Zhuang asked, distracted by the original conversation at the mention of that name. "The one who taught me to fight! A great Kung Fu Master! "Shen replied, unable not to smile when she saw the astonished expression of the other. Zhuang couldn't hold back a grimace "Do you really have it with anyone who knows any kind of martial arts? Or just against the Kung Fu? "Shen demanded piqued. "I don't like soldiers! And for good reason: the only warrior who has been here has wounded many people for no good reason! "The green peacock explained. "You don't want to fight! It's normal that he got the better of me! Whoever turns his back on the battle deserves defeat! "Shen said. "The weapons are dangerous!" Zhuang replied nervously "If you don't know how to use them! But they could become an excellent defense! "The white peacock insisted" No! Fighting is too dangerous! "The other admitted. "You can't defend yourself much more!" Shen protested. "Until we stay in the reserve nothing will happen to us!" Zhuang ended the conversation. Shen decided not to retaliate. He had to find a more effective way of screaming at himself, to convince that peacock.

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"I behaved like a fool, didn't I?" Asked Rose to Yong, who had been trying to reassure her for several minutes. "No! It's just because he doesn't know you behaved like that! "He replied. "Give it time! Even Lang Min at the beginning was grumpy and cold towards you, remember? "Hong asked, trying to give his friend some hope. "Lang Min ... ah yes! The peacock right? "Rose asked," All right! "Yong replied. "What do you say if we go to the other two?" The girl asked excitedly. "Better not!" Hong advised. "And don't forget the paint! It's very important! "Yong said, changing the subject completely. "Who's the target?" Rose asked curiously. "Apparently Syaoran is courting Shu ..." Hong began to explain to be interrupted immediately "No! No! Absolutely not! "The girl said raising both hands. "It's the first time you've pulled back!" Yong observed "Yeah!" Hong confirmed. "If you hope I hit a couple, you're wrong!" Said Rose opposed to the idea of attacking two lovers. "But they are not still together!" Hong protested. "What's on it? Where's the rip-off? "The girl who knew her two friends too well asked. "No rip-offs!" The twins replied in chorus "Only ... Shu continues to make jokes!" He surrendered to the end Yong "He surprises us by making us take shots! We must return the favor, we are not so rude as not to do it, do you think? "Hong said. "It's bad to be on the other side, isn't it?" Rose asked, grinning "However, my answer remains unchanged! I will not take this joke, so forget about the paint until you have found a target that is up to the risk! "The girl said before closing the gate behind her and turning the key and then running as fast as she could toward the its rooms. His father would be back soon! As he left he heard Yong's voice saying "Let's beat a retreat if you don't want to risk, a good spanking on the part of someone who can punish you!" "This time the alternate rhyme didn't look good on you!" Hong pointed out. "But what do you say ... if it was perfect ?!" Yong complained "It wasn't very catchy!" His brother admitted. Rose laughed "_In a second, they cause the end of the world!_" He thought before he reached his rooms and shut himself up inside them.

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He had been walking for a while in the thick vegetation when hasty steps made him turn around abruptly. Mei stopped beside him "Do you feel like talking?" He asked uncertainly. "Sure! You know your presence doesn't bother me! "Shen replied that he was obviously in a bad mood. "Well! So ... what happened with the human? "" _Except when you hang some business that is not yours! _"He thought of the white peacock when he was asked this question. "Nothing!" Shen said nervously. "Anything? You looked at her like she was the devil herself! A horrible creature! An abomination! A bit like ordinary people looked at us! Or how the visitors look at us when we are put in "exposure" ... "Mei said hinting with her paws at the quotation marks of the last word said. "Are you finished?" Asked an impatient Shen "I just wanted you to understand the situation by listing as many examples as possible!" The feline answered with absolute calm. "What exposition were you talking about?" The white peacock asked, puzzled "Don't change the subject!" Mei scolded him "You just did it!" Shen accused her "Isn't that so?" exposure "?" The peacock insisted. "The only real reason why we're here!" Mei began to explain. "Last night I talked to a buffalo named Pei and he informed me that every week they take us out to lock us up in big cages, to allow humans to admire us ". "I don't understand!" Shen said confused "The other humans have to pay to see us! It's just the greed that drives humans to risk losing their precious commodity! "Mei said, shaking her tail nervously. "Get to the point!" Shen grew impatient. "Well ... if I wanted to escape ... I would choose just an opportunity like this! Humans take us to the center of their village and with a little confusion it might be easy to disappear! "The feline said hopefully that she had devised a good plan. "You forgot we would be in a cage, most likely surrounded by guards!" Shen said decidedly more cautious than the girl. "We still have to define the details, but running away from the reserve seems a lot more complicated!" Mei said.

Shen started to think, then surrendered "All right! Now that we have decided the place we must think about how to implement the plan with a good chance of success ". "It will take some time! And I was hoping to be out of here before spring! "Mei complained. "To be able to escape, we cannot leave out any details! We need to learn more about these humans and their movements during these village festivals. It will take time, but in the end we will be free, trust us! "Shen said, placing a wing on her friend's shoulder. "I would never doubt you!" Mei said sincerely "Who did you meet last night?" She asked, full of curiosity.

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Rose was finishing downloading the latest photos on the computer undecided whether to change the desktop image or not! Yet the picture of that tall tower seen from afar was breathtaking! Already! In each of their journeys the photographic report was always there! He sighed heartily! Too bad it had to keep all that technology a secret, because a selfie with her friends would have liked it! But her father's speech had convinced her fully. It was perhaps the only time he had decided to listen to it and obey a simple rule! If his friends had discovered their technology, especially with regards to the arsenal of weapons they kept in the cellar, they could have become dangerous. Not for her, of course! But not wanting to be the cause of some Rose death in the end, he had decided to keep his mouth shut. "Rose!" A voice averted her thoughts and turned toward the open window. An albino Barn Owl perched on the windowsill. "Hi Fa! Discovered something? "He asked curiously. "It seems that those two peacocks we saw are the rulers of that city, called GongMing, and by chance Shen's parents too. The palace guard, formed by a large pack of wolves, mobilized in search of the missing Prince, only sailing in the opposite direction from our position! "He told the owl in one breath. Fa, a birthday present a few years earlier, was his personal informant. Not even his father knew that she sent the bird on espionage missions! "So he has some living relatives looking for him!" Rose said, jumping up from her chair. "Should we not inform your father? They could pose a serious danger if they found our kingdom! "He said Fa expressing his concern fully. "If they move by sea they will be intercepted by the lookouts scattered around the coast before they can set foot on land ... so, there is no problem! Only ... that I am afraid of hurting him if I start talking about his parents! "The girl complained referring to Shen. "If you want to become his friend there is a way!" Said the owl rubbing its wings against each other in an attempt to make the snow fall on them.

"Don't keep me on your toes!" She protested. "Shen's parents invented fireworks! It is their primary reason for living! I believe that if you give the peacock the chance to work with the family legacy, he will have to show some gratitude, will he not? "The owl asked. "Thank you! Thank you! Thanks! "Rose said enthusiastically as she embraced her friend in gratitude. "Thank you ... but I can't breathe!" The owl protested. "Apologizes! Did you discover anything about others? "He asked, interrupting this overwhelming show of affection. "Bo lived alone from what I understand! While Syaoran had recently moved to the village from which he was taken, so everyone knew him very little! "Fa said before lying down on a small bed prepared especially for him. "Well! Thank you so much for all this information! Now rest, you'll be tired! "Rose said before heading to the bathroom to finish getting ready. She had promised never to separate families, but most of the time, the animals that came to the reserve had been abandoned or sold by those who were supposed to protect them. It was just that she had activated herself from this point of view and had only managed to bring two brothers together: Li, the white tiger, with Lim the tiger ... normal! Without thinking that his father's most recent purchases had not been puppies, but adult animals, which could then deal with the situation differently than a puppy torn from the loving care of their parents! He could have done more, but his father had opened the reserve even before his birth and initially, given his young age, he had simply made the new arrivals feel at ease, who were mostly puppies of a few years old. with some adults who were highly ignorant. Soon they would serve lunch and his father did not like latecomers for that he hastily tied his shoes before locking the door, not to let anyone disturb Fa, and ran to the dining room.

**The story was originally in Italian, so there are no rhymes in English! I'm sorry! However, I hope this doesn't hurt the chapter too much! I introduced a new character that will play a very important role in the story! Rose is twelve and has grown up surrounded by animals! **

**Let me know what you think!**

**See you soon, **

**Laura**


	8. Chapter 8

**THE FAIR**

He did not fly a fly, apparently everything seemed normal, yet the air was as tense as few times had happened! Rose ate with her head down staring at the plate as if it had been a dish unknown to her instead of the usual polenta. Her father had been staring at her since they sat down at the table and she could swear she had never been so uncomfortable under the weight of his gaze. Something was wrong! Had he discovered Fa? She hoped with all herself for not being able to bear the idea that he was hurt only because of her! "How was your morning, daughter?" Derek asked in a neutral tone. "Good!" Replied Rose, unable to hide her concern in her voice. "What did you do?" Asked his father. "Studied!" She replied briefly. "The industrial revolution?" Asked the parent. She petrified her eyes wide. How was it possible that his father, while spending very little time with her, knew every little detail of his life? He had checked and in his room there was no trace of hidden video cameras, the PC had no parental control mode ... Fortunately, because he was now old enough to avoid such a humiliating lack of independence and freedom ... none of the servants observed her with such insistence that some suspicion arose ... "So !?" His father made her come back down to earth "The" industrial revolution "was a process of economic evolution and industrialization of society that from an agricultural and commercial system became a modern industrial system, characterized by the use of machines powered by mec energy ... "it was almost immediately interrupted" Good! Very well! Did you learn everything while you were in the company of your furry friends? "Cioccata! Of course, Rose knew perfectly well that sooner or later she would find out! He could do it to the guards, but not to him! Yet he hoped that he would find out as late as possible ... which apparently corresponded to ... now!

"I wanted ..." "SILENCE!" The parent yelled as he slammed a cutlery on the table. "They are not animals like the ones you know! They do not belong to our world! They are smarter! And don't believe that the simple fact of understanding what they say makes you become their friend ... or worse, one of them! Ever since you started seeing them, I'll tell you again: sooner or later they'll jump over your friendship just to find a way to escape! "Derek said angrily. "N-not true!" He tried to counter Rose "Apparently you don't understand in words. But when you come to me in tears because of their betrayal, you don't expect pity! I warned you! Now ... "the father said, standing up and abruptly moving the chair on which he was sitting to come face to face with her. Most likely it was an intimidation technique because in situations like this Rose would ardently wish she had the ability to disappear or pass through walls just to escape as far as possible from her father! "... the next fair is in two weeks! Try to make another contact with those savages before then and I swear I take away your computer, phone and freedom of movement for a year! "Derek shouted before leaving the room taking care to slam the door with all the strength he possessed. She should have been terrified to death, sorry, but not even a tear came out of Rose's eyes as she was used to her father's anger now. He only regretted always being unable to assert himself and having to endure in silence ... perhaps it was for this reason that only a single question touched on the antechamber of his brain "And now what do I do with the paint to give to Hong and Yong? ".

Two long weeks. They had passed extremely quickly, despite the imprisonment! Yet with all the construction work on the new houses, time had flown so fast that Shen was surprised to discover this detail only when he was warned of the upcoming fair. No one would have been sold, this reassured him, but the idea of finding himself in the midst of a flood of humans staring at him as a bizarre being didn't excite him too much. In his city he managed to avoid such looks as much as possible, staying within the walls of the palace. While here it would have been impossible since the word freedom did not exist in the vocabulary of those who lived in the reserve! All the animals gathered in the square behaving with excitement in view of the fair, unlike the new arrivals. The previous experience with humans outside the reserve still remembered it well and feared it would recur! Kang climbed the rock on which Shen, Mei and the other two had been, in order to be seen and heard by everyone present. "Dear friends, I know that many of you want to be able to have some fun going to the human party, but you know the rules: today only ten of us will leave the reserve! But don't worry, in just ten days there will be another demonstration and with it new possibilities to go out "once Kang had finished talking, happy cries rose from all the animals ... well ... ...almost all. "Tai, please read the list our master gave us!" Kang asked his brother gently. He nodded before starting "As soon as I call you, gather to my right, please!" He said, waving "Hua, Bo, Ming, Wen, Cong, Kueng, Cheng, Genji, Shen and Heng!" Among the exults of those who had been chosen, aside from Shen, there were also protests from others who had to stay at home, but no one opposed Derek's orders. Even if Shen was sure that they could not in any way oppose the humans ... not even wanting it! "I wish we could have put the nose out of this place! Once you get back, you'll tell me everything, right? "Mei asked hopefully. Shen nodded nervously, unable to avoid glaring at her friend, before following the others towards the main gate where the humans were waiting for them.

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Hua was an eagle owl, also an albino, Ming was an albino deer he barely knew. Wen was a monkey like the others, but with whom he exchanged yes and no three words ... then there was Cong the squirrel, Kueng and Cheng, brothers of Tai. Genji the albino weasel as well as the Heng owl which however was the most agitated of the group. And finally there was he and the bat Bo, the latest arrivals and the most nervous! A group of twenty humans armed with strange weapons escorted them to a large underground room. Once there they put a collar and a kind of muzzle on everyone. Shen's eyes widened as they tied them together through a long chain to which they were tied by an iron ring on each person's paw. Cheng guessed his question and replied, "They use cages when they have to take the biggest cats and cattle out. With us they do not do it because they do not consider us very dangerous if in chains and in this way it is much easier to transport us! ". Now he knew more things! The anxiety returned when he saw that embedded in the muzzle, which fortunately was placed above the head of each one without, however, obstructing the mouth, there was a red diamond. He remembered the first time he had seen Mei: hypnotized and unable to reason with his own head because of the power of that ruby! "I see you understand quickly!" Hua said as he approached the peacock as they were tied one behind the other "In case we were to free ourselves, the master will use the power of the diamond to get us back in line! So don't come up with strange ideas! "He said before starting to walk. Apparently the rumors spread quickly into the reserve! It was enough for only one person to discover something that in a short time all the others knew about it too! Or it was Mei who simply had a long tongue! Shen snorted to make them understand his frustration and set off with the others towards the exit. At the beginning the walk was ... pleasant, if this can be defined as being in chains! But soon they found themselves in the middle of the crowd, with the guards pushing the commoners to make their way through the myriad of people. Shen had felt the anger grow more and more every time someone tried to touch his tail or simply caress it as if it were a simple commodity that must be studied to evaluate the price!

Fortunately the guards had chased everyone off just in time and eventually tied each animal to a wooden pole each, removing the long chain that held them together. If Shen thought that he could not go worse than this, he was wrong. In the following hours there was a continuous coming and going of humans waving metal boxes before posing next to him to be portrayed with the "albino peacock"! The guard who had to collect the money and check it kept him firmly in the muzzle and kept his head high. More than once the desire to catch someone had overwhelmed Shen, except to remember a few milliseconds before he was a nobleman, and he would never have lowered himself to such primitive gestures! Late in the afternoon he was exhausted to say the least and was locked up in cages with the others under a large tent. Such metal constructions were large enough to give him the slightest chance of movement so Shen began to circle around to think carefully about everything he had discovered up to that point. Two major obstacles arose, one worse than the other. First: Mei would have been locked in a cage, from which she was less likely to be able to get out! Second: the muzzles used to hold the diamonds could completely sabotage any plan they would decide to implement! The first problem could be solved, it was enough to find the perfect moment to force the cage lock and the game was done. Things were more complicated for the ruby! He should have figured out how Derek could make it work in order to neutralize such a weapon! He was beginning to think of a way to make others flee when screams caught his attention and also everyone else's. "You bet someone will have made another disaster with the fireworks!" Ming said that despite all his efforts, he couldn't get his head through the bars to see better, because of the large white horns. He was the closest to the entrance and the only one who could tell others what was really happening ... "I do not believe! I don't hear the whistles caused by the fires! "Hua said turning his head 270 degrees, as if she had been too lazy to turn around in person.

"I think a fire broke out!" Genji said, moving nervously in his tiny cage. "Ah! Now would it be a fire ?! Can you also tell us what caused it? "Heng asked with obvious sarcasm. "No, but I can say with certainty that the straw feeds it!" The weasel replied, pointing to a point behind them. Shen turned to see that part of the tent had caught fire, but actually it was the straw that burned quickly and by doing so, spread the fire! "Move!" A voice from outside made everyone's attention momentarily divert from the fire. The guards started to open the cages and then put a leash on each of the animals and take them out as if they were domesticated! The fear of fire made everyone particularly obedient, but the smoke began to spread, greatly reducing visibility! Shen could only see the cage next to his, since there were no more on the other side. A guard released Genji only to pass out soon after due to the smoke. The weasel did not waste time and ran towards the exit forgetting to help the peacock. "Why am I always finding myself in situations like this?" Shen asked himself mentally. He put his head through the bars and began pecking insistently at the unconscious sack of potatoes that was actually the guard. To hell with good manners when life was at stake. After a few minutes of useless attempts, he tried to force the lock with his claws with the only result of making himself a great evil! In the end he lay in the cage as far as possible from the fire and in a short time he lost consciousness because of the smoke that did not allow him to see a palm from his beak.

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There was panic in the country. Many houses had caught fire as were most of the tents set up for the fair! Rose ran to the tent where she knew the animals were there. He had only seen Ming and Kueng leave the village and feared that the guards had left someone behind! The firemen were worrying about the houses, to prevent the fire from spreading too much, endangering other lives. This is why no one noticed her as she walked to the tents. He took his handkerchief and dipped it in a bucket full of water abandoned on the road and after having taken courage he went into the tent that threatened to collapse at any moment! He couldn't see anything and had to stay calm even when he took one of the cages in the center right in front of him. Groping, he checked them all, sighing with relief as soon as he understood, one after the other, that they were empty ... except for one! His eyes widened when he saw ... Shen! Yes, with a dress so beautiful it could only be him! He had fainted! He had to do in even the time to finish processing this thought that fell to the ground! She had stumbled on someone ...! A partially burned man! He took the keys quickly from his belt, so as not to have to look at that show to say the least creepy! Once opened the cage grabbed the peacock for life and dragged it out making it fall to the ground. While holding a wet handkerchief on his nose and mouth with one hand, he grabbed a wing of Shen with the other and started dragging him out of the tent. After an interminable time he realized he was out of danger when, amid the dense vegetation, he was no longer able to see the flames. She had also gone from the opposite side to the one designated as she found herself on the bank of a river. He knelt beside the unconscious peacock and rested his ear on his chest: he was alive! Immediately he approached the shore and, taking some water with his hands, began to wet his face in an attempt to wake him up. He got no answer ... he jumped two meters when the phone rang. Luckily the peacock was unconscious otherwise he would have had to invent a lie so as not to make him suspicious of that strange contraption!

He looked at the screen and didn't feel at all relieved when he read "Dad"! He lowered the ringtone and turned back to the faint peacock. In a surge of curiosity he began to caress his beautiful plumage of his chest laughing when he felt it was soft. He had often embraced the twins for fun, or in fights, or to say hello to some of the other peacocks, but never dared to pet them, since he thought it was a lack of respect, even though he had never asked for confirmation! Fortunately the bird in question was in the world of dreams, so the embarrassment did not make itself felt! A roar made her turn abruptly and with horror she saw a great cloud of black smoke rising from where the village was. Something bad had just happened! Perhaps a house had collapsed! Who knows if the fire was intentional? It would not have been the first time that someone tried to kill his father or his animals in an attempt to harm him and his image! They were often foolishly foolish, sometimes animalists who wanted to see his business closed, others still unconscious kids! One moment she was a little girl too! Yes, however, her brain had not gone haywire! A moan made her turn towards the peacock and saw that he was waking up. "Shen! Are you okay? "He asked worriedly. The bird coughed for several minutes in a row, but finally recovered and opened his eyes, just to look at her in amazement. "W-what happened?" He asked, thinking he knew the answer. "I got you out of that goddamn tent! I'm sorry that your first visit to our world ended like this, but you know, not all humans have their wheels in place! "Rose replied as she sat down in front of the peacock that was still lying on the ground. "You ... you saved me?" Shen asked more to repeat it to himself and to be able to assimilate such news that seemed to be false instead of real! "Y-yes!" Rose replied, not knowing what else to say. "Why?" "Why?" He asked when the peacock asked her that question. He just looked at her asking for answers with his eyes and she sighed "You're just an innocent animal! You didn't deserve to die because of some idiot's joke! "He said trying to be exhaustive. "She says she keeps us in a cage!" Shen stated. "But you are alive!" Rose protested. "What kind of life is that of a prisoner?" The peacock insisted, struggling to sit in front of her.

"A horrible life! But my mother always said "there is also a rainbow behind the clouds", so I try not to see the bars that keep me confined, but who's in it with me! "Said Rose, seeing Shen open her beak faced with such a statement "You ... are you in a cage?" he asked, suddenly less hostile. "Yes! There are different types of prison! "She admitted heartily. "Flee with us!" Shen said suddenly. "How?" Rose asked, confused. "Come with us! We'll show you the world so you can decide who you really are! "The peacock said, completely displacing it. She couldn't know it, but Shen understood it well! He had lived all his life in a golden prison without realizing it. Being a prince he was safer in the tower and had spent most of his life shut up inside. Furthermore the prejudices had isolated him in a cage whose bars were the indifference of his parents and the loneliness that this entailed. Zhan had been the only one to bring a breath of fresh air, but apart from him, Shen had never tried to escape. He saw himself in that human and wanted to do something to help her. He had misjudged her because of a distorted father he didn't look like at all and now he wanted to make amends! His father was wrong! They would never have used his friendship to gain freedom, no, they would have always been close to her! Proof was Shen's proposal that he decided to accept. He had to get out of the parent's oppressive shadow to understand who he really was and what he wanted to do in life! He squeezed the peacock's wing firmly and would have put his hand on the fire that his smile had never been so great! Voices made them turn around and saw the guards who would soon join them. "You should rest! You had a really bad day! "Rose said placing a hand on the peacock's shoulder" It could have been a lot worse if it hadn't been for you! ... thanks, Rose! "Shen said before putting her head underneath the wing and sink into a dreamless sleep. She laughed. There was always a meeting ground! And now he had to commit himself to strengthening this new, incredible friendship!

**And here is the new chapter!**

**It seems that the situation improves ... we hope! **

**I imagined him as a cold and authoritarian father, and I hope I managed to make him look like that! **

**See you soon, **

**Laura**


	9. Chapter 9

**HATE AND LOVE**

Time passed quickly, the days became months, until the frost of winter made way for spring followed soon after by summer. The perfectionist who was in him forced him to work twice as much as normal to make the job flawless! Despite the oppressive summer heat, Shen had not stopped even a day, just to see the work of his new home completed as soon as possible! While Mei arranged the chairs, he carefully cleaned the table. He snorted when the wood caused a small tear on the piece of fabric he used "This old rag is really to be thrown away!". The door creaked as it opened and Lang Min appeared in the doorway. "I bet your ears were ringing!" Shen said with a grin on his face. The peacock looked at him confused but dismissed the comment "It is coming well!" He stated observing carefully what little decor that adorned the newly built house. "You know ... once we're free, you can be a designer!" Mei said to Shen, looking at Xing who had just entered. "Again you hope to escape! No one has succeeded in over forty years! "The peacock complained. "It will mean that we will be the first!" Mei said placing the last chair around the table. Shen was unable to hold back a grimace, his future home was coming, but being used to the splendid Tower of the Holy Flame, he would have always seemed so miserable to him. Fortunately the construction of the laboratory had been completed. Located underground and connected to his home via a long tunnel. Only as a precaution had he decided not to build it at the house, so in the event of an accident he would not run the risk of damaging it in any way. Even if he had promised himself not to cause damage so as not to let the humans discover this construction, since he would have set to work to design weapons that could allow him to annihilate the enemy and escape.

"But I saw that your house was finished!" Xing said "You would never have built it without the intention of staying ..." "... the time needed to devise a good escape plan ! "Mei concluded for her. "Already! Sleeping in bed with me was uncomfortable! "Shen said miraculously managing to remain serious. Mei became redder than the carpet placed in the center of the salon "It only happened the first night!" He complained with obvious embarrassment. A roar made them turn towards the entrance. "You know, if you open the door you will pass much more easily!" It was Yong "And avoid getting a few bumps!" With Hong. "I stumbled, deficient!" And Rose, to complete the trio. The girl entered, rubbing her head but with a huge smile on her face. "Here is everything you asked for!" He said, placing a large sack near the entrance cabinet. "What do you have in mind!" Xing asked as he inspected the contents. "Coal, sulfur, saltpeter, copper carbonate ..." Rose was interrupted by a shocked Lang Min "What do you have to do with these things?" He asked more frightened by the fact that he didn't know what they were talking about for other. "The fireworks?" Asked Mei who knew the passion of the peacock for the barrels. "Better ..." said Rose "... the joke of the year will be implemented thanks to him!" He explained with evident enthusiasm. Hong and Yong started laughing like crazy already anticipating the idea of watching humans run across the reserve with their backs on fire! Shen smiled. The primary objective was escape, but he would not have missed the opportunity to teach his captors a lesson! He knew very well that he would soon have to reveal his real intentions to Rose, to prevent the girl from feeling used and teased, but for the moment it was better to keep quiet about such details! "Perfect! Thank you! "Shen said to Rose. Another roar made them turn towards the fireplace. Shu, a white wolf, came out of a secret passage hidden near the chimney. "Marble is very slippery, especially if new!" He moaned, rubbing his injured arm. Shen had met her before the fair. Clever, strong and stubborn, Shu was the daughter of his pack's alpha, captured a few years earlier than he was. A great friendship was born between the two, since Shen was familiar with the canines and respected and understood the traditions of their race.

Thanks to this he had also known Syaoran, a young male hunted by his pack of origin who had found himself to be the beta of Shu. The wolves did not like to live behind bars and it was easy to take them on their side with a promise of future freedom. Thinking also that such a friendship would have given him more chances to survive once he was out of the reserve. "Could you fix these things in the lab?" Shen asked. A sudden amnesia made him forget the please. "Sure!" Fortunately Shu didn't seem to mind since the tone of that question had been extremely kind. It did not seem, but to behave like a humble people could be more difficult than expected. Of course, Shen no longer gave orders, but he kindly asked for things, even though at times they looked more like claims than requests! Rose and the two boys left the house and hurried to an unknown place to combine one of their own. But no one tried to stop them. Besides, that day had been too calm. A little action would have raised the spirits! "You will get yourself killed!" Xing admitted reluctantly "Come on, you don't have to express your joy like that!" Shen teased. "While you plan your suicide, Xing and I have to get ready for tonight's party! "What to wear, though, I haven't decided yet!" Said Lang Min, who didn't seem worried about a detail that was of vital importance to most females!

"I don't think that changes much! On the other hand it will be a simple meeting with old friends! "Xing said as he headed for the exit. "A nice little group of redwoods!" The white peacock teased. "Shen you are always more witty! It's a rare gift for a nuisance! "Lang Min said angrily. "Girls! Instead I finally decided what to wear! "Mei said trying to extinguish the flames of an imminent quarrel and rummaging in a large chest that was near the table. "Why did you bring your clothes to Shen's house?" Lang Min asked, laughing. "Because I had to help him complete the work and Shu would be there to give me good advice!" "But you have decided not to follow!" The wolf specified. "You clarified my ideas!" Mei replied, pulling out a beautiful blue silk dress. "What do you think?" He asked, showing it to the peacock. "Do you wear that gaudy rag for an evening with friends? What will you do at your wedding? I wouldn't even bring him dead! "Lang Min said that he hated things that were too low-cut just like the idea of impressing other males. "You should have been dead for two months to hope to get in!" Shen teased her before heading off with Shu to the lab and leaving the females to their arguments. Lang Min's mood had definitely changed in a matter of seconds, but fortunately he ran out, perhaps to take it out on the first unfortunate man who had appeared in front of her, just to be able to vent. "Those two have a lemon relationship!" Xing said before turning his attention to that pretty dress. "Not bad! You're going to look great tonight. Forgive Lang Min, but he changes his temper when there is Shen around! "Said the white peacock" Even though I have not yet understood why! "

"Shen loves to be contradicted. "It seems that he enjoys dialectically in the attacar." Mei explained. "And maybe Lang Min has found someone who can stand up to her and can't stand the idea!" Xing continued before he started laughing with his friend. Yes, those two, from the first moment they met, had started a war of looks, provocations and digs, just for the simple pleasure of having someone challenge them, biting at any provocation! In fact they were very similar in this! Which, in their battle, they had not yet noticed! "Are you invited to tonight's party too?" Shen asked not with real interest, but eager to break the silence. "Yes! I think it will be an evening of gossip about the nicest males you can pair with! The peacocks allure for Xian! It's unbelievable, to say the least, how that boy manages to please females! "Shu observed. "The peacocks are here recently, right?" Shen asked curiously. "Yes! Five years at most! Respect to Kang and others is an infinitesimal time! But with such a clear majority of males it was necessary to equalize, otherwise no eggs! And Derek would have freaked out! "The wolf replied as, once she arrived in the main hall of the lab, she began to sort things out. "What happens to them?" Shen asked, wanting to know everything. She immediately sensed what he was referring to "The eggs ... are sold once laid. But ... "he stopped abruptly, looking at the white peacock as if to ask him" Do you really want to know? "And he nodded" ... the chicks are killed! It doesn't matter if due to an accident or natural causes, but any chick or puppy, among the hundreds who left the reserve, has never been seen again! ... only two have survived! " last statement made the blood freeze in the peacock's veins "Who?" he asked anxiously to hear the answer.

"Chu and Zhi are the natural children of Ms. Yue and Mr. Cheng!" Shu replied. "How did they survive if hundreds perished?" Sheng demanded more and more agitated. "From what they told me, their parents, once they discovered the horrible fate of the other puppies, they hid the eggs and the newly hatched chicks. After a few years Rose presented herself to her father with two new purchases for the reserve ... "" ... Chu and Zhi! "The peacock ended for her. "They are great now! And from what I knew the last puppies were born fifteen years ago years ago! "Shen said, demanding an explanation. "The humans are not stupid!" For this reason, all the inhabitants of the reserve have stopped reproducing! "The wolf concluded sitting on a comfortable pillow. "Here is the mystery of the peacocks revealed! Derek is hoping for a new profitable commodity! "Shen said angrily. The greed of humans knew no limits! But not all! Rose was different and he knew it would be thanks to her if they would savor their freedom again!

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It was a good thing that soon there would be no fair. Because after the previous evening there was a trail of endless alcohol victims! The girls had exceeded, but even the boys had not gone slow! Not wanting to be outdone they had also organized a "party", if you could call it drunk together! The adults were trying to calm the waters and get seasick to many of the fallen. Shen was lying on his bed that at the time seemed extremely small due to all the people that occupied it! Xian, Jiang, Jun, Fai and Syaoran were lying next to him on the comfortable mattress, more intent on sleeping as if there was no tomorrow than doing anything else. Shen marveled at himself: a little less than a year ago he would not have endured such a thing! It was true that he was then a very respected Prince and no one would have allowed himself to enter the tower of the sacred flame, so let alone in his room! And second important thing: he would never get drunk! I mean, once it happened, but nothing could beat their evening! He was sure of it! Voices convinced Shen to drag himself out of bed and only when the world around him stopped spinning did he start toward the front door. Weak Xing and Lang Min came in and threw themselves on a sofa in the living room while they were tuning out a song. They were the only females to have such a confidence with him to show up at his house and occupy it without even asking! "I'm going to make a tea, do you want it?" Shen asked as he rubbed his temples in a desperate attempt to ward off an overwhelming headache. "Wind to the sails!" Xing said before collapsing on the couch asleep. "I bet you will dream of boats and pirates! He's been hoping to travel by sea all his life! "Lang Min said before he realized that Shen was still waiting for an answer" Let me have a lot of tea ... please! "He asked gently.

The white peacock walked towards the kitchen only to enter and find Syaoran who had just finished emptying his cupboard. "Sorry! After such a hangover, I always get very hungry! "He justified himself hoping not to be thrown out of the house. "Quiet, so are the humans who pay for food!" Shen said, sliding the door to close it only to stop when he heard a thud followed by a moan. He slowly opened the door and Lang Min was revealed "... but you didn't see me ?!" he asked angrily. "What do you think?" Shen asked, looking at her with equal hostility. It had to be reduced really badly if he hadn't heard her approach so much as to slam the door in her face. Even if it had been a great satisfaction! The brazen and disrespectful ways he often used against him gave him nerves! Once the tea was prepared, he served it to the wolf and the peahen, as well as filling a huge cup for him. "After this evening I will never fall again! I will never drink again! "Lang Min said firmly," The last famous words! "Shen thought, unable to suppress a grin. Lang Min made a suffering verse "Do you have something stronger?" He asked, hoping he could get her drunk. "Yes, but I don't dare!" Shen replied expecting a reaction to such a provocation. But perhaps the peacock was more drunk than she had imagined since she didn't answer. Shen could have sworn it was the only time he could have the last word. The sound of the front door opening and closing made the three of them turn towards the kitchen entrance. After a few seconds, Tai appeared on the threshold. "I see that you are better placed than all the others!" He stated with obvious amusement in his voice. "Then the others are really sick!" Syaoran said, starting to eat again. "Wait here while I go to check that the others are alright!" The peacock said before leaving the kitchen.

"Look! Someone who cares about us! My mother abandoned me as soon as I was born and my father raised me by hating me for it! He believed that I was the cause of the disappearance of his beloved companion! ... Of course Tai is really weird! I mean what does he care about us? Should he care about something? "He asked Shen, who automatically replied by turning his head. "No, in fact! But why the sun is so far away! If he had been closer, surely now I wouldn't be dying of cold ... "until the topic was consistent Shen listened with interest, but when Lang Min started talking about absurd things, he turned his attention away. It was not his first hangover, only the worst! He could have sworn he had never drunk so much in such a short time! Not having the weight of the real protocol had its advantages and disadvantages. He could turn to anyone without paying attention to the label, he could combine disasters without extreme punishment, like staying indoors for a week or having to completely tidy up the palace library! But he could also drink so much that he completely lost control of himself! A thud made him turn to the kitchen table and saw Syaoran and Lang Min fast asleep on it. Voices from the upper floor informed him that others had also woken up. He looked at Lang Min and smiled, finally he had met a strong and tenacious female who feared nothing! The women at court were frightening nuisances that did not suit someone like him, but perhaps it was in the reserve that he had found what he had been looking for for some time: a companion!


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm back! I had a lot to do and I couldn't update anymore, excuse me! Today I will publish two chapters to make me forgive. I wanted to thank Be Prepared for the comment and support he showed me! And I hope you can appreciate the rest of the story like everyone who reads this story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda or any of it's characters. All belong to their original owners.**

**INNATE GIFT**

"They taught you, right?" Silence "Is that why you didn't want to handle them anymore?" Shen sighed, trying to maintain his composure. It was absurd that he felt pain thinking of his parents because they had abandoned him! And yet he felt that despite the harm they had done to him he could not help but love him again! "It was me ... let me be caught! He threatened them ... "it was obvious that he was referring to Derek but Kang understood that Shen was suffering a lot. Mei's parents had died trying to protect her, but his parents also had a responsibility to protect the city! Except that the airships had never spotted Gong Men ships, or simply carrying anthropomorphic animals that were close to the human territory and this was the definitive proof that no one was actually looking for it! Recovering himself from these sad thoughts, Shen resumed the work left in half. It was hard to get the black powder, but the hard work had given a substantial reward: he had created the first firecrackers! It had been an immense joy to see the guards running around the reserve with the explosives attached to their belts through a long fuse, unable momentarily to think clearly and understand that it would have been enough to detach them from it to solve the problem. Fortunately, since there were few things to do, Shen had spent so much time on his inventions. That was why it had taken him just three months to calculate the appropriate doses to make a firecracker. Unfortunately, he had particular restrictions: he must not in any way seriously harm human beings! This was the main agreement between him and Rose, through which he had managed to convince her to supply him with all the material.

But there was something that did not come back! When he showed his new invention to others, they were astonished, as was normal ... but Rose was the only one who didn't seem particularly impressed! And he was not frightened even more than when Shen gave a public demonstration by making everyone run wild and watching them with absolute fun while hiding in the most unlikely places for how great the fright had been! Another alarm bell was that the humans hadn't taken any action! Except Rose's confinement in her room for a week! Did they possess much more dangerous weapons? Were they already aware of something so innovative for him and the other animals? A voice took him away from the thousand doubts that crowded his mind. "Now that I think about it, I think these firecrackers can also be used to escape poachers!" Kang said as he rearranged a large quantity of explosives in a wooden crate full of straw. Shen looked at him, interested in the subject. He had heard of some humans who had tried to catch some animals ... but he had never had the pleasure of being face t_o_ face with one of them_! "If they react like Rose did, that is, remaining perfectly still and passive to the explosion, I think they won't be very useful to us!_" Shen thought without speaking his suspicions in words. "Guys! It's almost lunch time! Stop experimenting and come up and get yourself a clean one! "Lu-Chu's voice came from up the stairs, amplified by the stone walls. "I think he does it on purpose!" Shu complained as he stepped out of the storage area next to the main room, full of supplies and new inventions. "I'm not following you!" Kang admitted as he closed the box. "He knows how frightening he is when he speaks from up there! That's why he always does! "The wolf explained. The peacock laughed, while Shen was lost in his thoughts again and just went upstairs.

He had created new types of fireworks. They were decidedly tiny, but their beauty lay in this, they could be admired from a very short distance given their size. He made them explode in front of the spectators, a few centimeters from their faces, enchanting them with the tiny plays of light that they were nevertheless able to produce. But besides joy, he had also dedicated himself to something more obscure. Shortly before being captured, he was planning a new rocket launcher and now, with the discovery of the black powder, he could use it in a different way from the one initially designed! He would have invented such a powerful weapon that he could make a breach in the wall and thus finally escape! After such thoughts on future glories, he settled his suit in the best possible way and went down to the imminent meal. The lunches always remained in the family and thanks to this, the bond between him and the sons of Kang, had strengthened a lot in those months. It had been almost a year since he had been abducted and Shen was surprised to find that rather than being a prisoner, it seemed like a long and pleasant vacation ... taking away their public appearances! "What is it that you can easily win by playing, even when you don't win anything?" Sheng dropped a silence among all those present with a simple question. His riddles were so intriguing as to disrupt the interest of Shen, who usually hated those who spoke in riddles. "Happiness?" Chow, Wei's wife, tried. "Boredom!" Xian replied visibly bored. "If you know it, keep it for yourself! At least give someone else the chance to answer! " Said angry Sheng "It's a question you ask everyone! So also invite me to answer! "He counterattacked Xian" Yes, but since you always know the answer it would be better if you sewed up that beak! ". The quarrel between the two peacocks went on for a long time, meanwhile the other young people cleared and scattered in the vegetation. Shen was walking on a beaten path when a rolling ball made of hair passed him by missing him by a few millimeters. Shu crashed into a tree before smashing into aching land. "Damn vegetation!" The wolf complained, struggling to her feet. "Hi Shu! Have you seen Mei? "Shen asked, accustomed to her friend's awkwardness. "No! Actually, I was looking for you! "" Me? "The peacock asked in surprise. "You!" The wolf confirmed before coming to the heart of the matter. "There is a human in the reserve!" He suddenly said seriously.

"Tell me something I don't already know!" Shen said bored. "Its smell is different from that of the guards! He is a stranger! "Shu said more than sure, raising the fur. Shen froze "_Now that I think about it, I think these firecrackers can also be used to let the poachers escape"_ Kang's words of not even two hours ago came back to him, while fear began to make its way through the feathers. But not so much for him, but for everyone else! From what he had heard, no one but him knew how to fight! Although not knowing in depth the weapons in possession of the humans could not say if the caliph would have helped him or not in an emergency situation ... "Launch the alarm and go to call Syaoran and all the cats you can find!" Shen said, starting to run. "Alarm? We don't have an alarm system! It will only seem that I want to howl! "Shu replied. The white peacock froze. Anger swept over him. They were so tame that they had never thought of such basic things! Even in the smallest and most remote village in China, the inhabitants, if few, had an emergency plan in case of attack! "All right! Take me to the intruder! In the meantime let's call everyone we find on our way! "The peacock finally said before starting to run after the she-wolf. Fortunately they met Mei in the company of five other felines: the agile and lethal Kuen puma, the lioness Ji, Jie the jaguar, a cunning female, the Xu panther, a fearsome male for her size and the golden tiger She! With the arrival of the young white peacock their spirit had awakened and from time to time Shen gave them some combat lessons ... making sure that the older ones, especially Kang, remained unaware of this. "Intruders!" Shen said in a single breath. "A human who comes from the outside is particularly dangerous ... a poacher!" Shu pointed out.

The cats got on the attention "Shall we give them a lesson?" She asked excitedly "So as to make him regret the idea of having entered!" He said rubbing Jie's paws. "It's been so long since humans have trembled at the sound of my roar!" Xu said extremely motivated to kick a human ass. Apart from the peacocks and some other animals, most of them had been captured by adults and for the last ten years they lived confined to the reserve. It was not strange that they yearned for freedom! Although, due to Kang and Tai, they had never tried to escape in order not to endanger the others and make the two peacocks angry. But with Shen the hope was back! Not to mention that the peacock had a brilliant mind! So Shu found himself following the smell of the intruder, followed by a small army. Let's say reconnaissance group. They hid among the fallen branches and the thick vegetation. Shen in those months, had refined his camouflage technique and was now able to reach someone's back without being noticed! He was a boy. Big and strong, holding a strange weapon. The human had not noticed that eight pairs of eyes were watching him carefully. "Curse! They'll have to pay me double for the job! Cursed! It seems to be in the jungle instead of a zoo! "The human complained. Xu gave a low growl, immediately imitated by the other cats. The man made a leap with which he could easily have reached the other side of the reserve, and began to look around with obvious nervousness. "Let it be albino! Let it be albino! "That small request infuriated those present and Shen threw a knife behind the man in the thick vegetation. The individual whirled around and activated his weapon, which turned out to be a strange type of crossbow, but he had a full bite. Shen ran to him and as soon as he turned around, he dropped him back onto the grass, dropping the weapon away from him. Instead of being frightened the human eyes widened and looked at him in the way that Shen hated: as if she were a bizarre creature, with that annoying insistence that he knew too well!

The others surrounded them and the peacock was surprised when he realized he had no idea how to act. He couldn't kill him! This would have alerted humans that considering them dangerous would have them locked up in much smaller cages! But don't even let it go! He would endanger others! Deliver it to the guards? No, he didn't trust humans, strangers and jailers included! He did not have time to come to terms with the dilemma that a network made him abruptly remove himself from the human and fall to the ground. "Shen!" Screamed Mei as she walked toward him. A hiss was accompanied by Xu's sudden fainting and the others hid in the thick vegetation to understand the situation well. Meanwhile Mei, after hurting a nail, realized that the net was not made with simple ropes and that it would have been difficult to pull out his friend! Another hiss preceded a lament from Shen that fainted immediately afterwards. The cat saw something sprouting from the peacock's shoulder and took it. It was a small wooden stick with an iron point! They must have been soaked in sleeping pills, only this could explain the collapse of Shen and Xu. Other noises put her on alert. He looked around and realized he was surrounded. Fool them, thinking that the human was alone! For now there were six, but there could be more! "You, call the reinforcements! Jie goes to alert the humans! "He said, throwing the intruder's weapon at the last interviewed as proof to show to the guards, to make the situation as quick as possible. Not even she trusted humans, but despair makes people do strange things! Both felines obeyed, while Kuen and Ji went on all fours around their unconscious friends, with the intention of protecting them. Five males and one female. Men were much crazier than women, as they were always the majority of them throwing themselves into such businesses! Mei got on all fours and growled, trying to be as threatening as possible. Kuen, emitting an imposing roar, attacked a human who screamed with both fear and pain, given the enormous gash that the claws of his puma opened on his shoulder. The feline only managed to injure another human in the leg before being hit by those small and deadly weapons! Now they were two!

A man walked around them and started to approach the unconscious peacock by triggering Mei. He dropped it backwards, but then was forced to hide in the vegetation to avoid being hit by those soaked in sleeping pills. Ji looked around confused, not knowing what to do. Should he stay and protect his friends, or was it better to run? Humans noticed his insecurity and advanced. While two were out of action and had started towards the exit with a limp, three remained in front of the lioness and one behind him that had recovered from the brief clash with Mei. One of the three signaled to a companion who advanced towards the feline in a threatening way. Ji automatically backed away, growling to remind those cursed that they shouldn't underestimate her just because she was alone! He stirred on the spot when he saw that the other two had grabbed Shen and were starting to drag him away. He had to do something! But what? A sharp bubbling preceded Hua who fully invested the human that threatened Ji. Having the road clear, the feline ran after the two who had taken Shen, immediately being joined by Mei, who had come out of her hiding place as soon as the opportunity had presented itself. The poor owl was badly thrown to the ground by the man and would have been hit by his knife if Ning had not intervened by pulling a powerful kick on the intruder's arm. The man screamed in pain and drew back scared. Without his weapon and in front of a bison of almost a ton he didn't seem so dangerous ... The other two humans ran laughing happily, convinced that the plan had succeeded. "What a pain!" Shouted one "Ahia!" The woman complained. Dishi, the white ferret, peeked out from the tall grass just to see the male as he inspected his ankle bite, with extreme satisfaction. Genji, the weasel, had thought of the woman, so that she could finally be able to apologize as she should with Shen for abandoning him in the flames. The peacock did not bear a grudge for that affair, but this was not enough to cushion his feelings of guilt! While the noises coming from the walls that surrounded the reserve, made him understand that the other two humans had also been stopped, Genji and Dishi hid as soon as they saw the guards coming.

They were quick to neutralize the intruders and free the peacock. One of them checked the condition of the bird before wrapping it in a sheet and getting help from a fellow man to bring it who knows where! Others remained to ascertain the health of the two cats! The two mustelids followed the guards until they saw Mei and Ji hidden in a bush. "I must note that this is the first time we react in front of poachers!" Dishi said, satisfied that he had managed to do it to two despicable and heartless beings as were the poachers. "Where are they taking him?" Mei asked, completely ignoring the ferret. "And who knows! Do we continue to follow them? "Genji asked, full of curiosity. The felines nodded and the four animals set off. They saw the humans enter Derek's castle to close immediately after the gate behind them. Mei was worried! What would they do to Shen? "Is everything all right?" Asked an albino barn owl that strangely stood on the other side of the gate from them. "How did you get in?" Mei asked, surprised "Sorry, we haven't introduced you yet!" Ji said embarrassed. "He is Fa! Rose's best friend, besides being everyone's ears and eyes inside and outside the building! "Dishi said. "A white peacock has just been brought in! Please make sure they don't hurt him! "Mei begged him. "I will do what I can!" Fa said before flying into the dark corridor that led into the castle.

**And here is a new chapter! Soon I will publish another one, but for the rest it will take a while since I am leaving and where I will go for the holidays there will be no internet! Let me know what you think! See you soon, Laura-98M**


	11. Chapter 11

**CHANGES**

He woke up on a soft blanket. After he stretched his wings, Shen was tempted to reappear, but the memory of what had happened just before woke him completely in a matter of seconds. He was in a cell. Curiosity won over fear and leaned out of the bars. An enormous cavern stood out for many meters in height and depth, its walls were full of cells, proof that, if necessary, the humans could have locked them all up! From the first to the last, despite their exorbitant numbers. Voices made him return to the blanket and pretended to sleep. "What does the doctor say?" It was Derek. He would have recognized his voice among a thousand even though he had not seen him for several months. "Is fine! He and the other two cats have only been sedated, sir! "" I don't care about the other two! He is rarer! If he dies we would lose a huge source of income! "Derek looked out of place! So cute! He was worried about him! Oh no, for the money, right! "It is not life threatening sir. But what worries me is another question ... "the other individual continued to say. "Explain yourself!" After that last statement the voices drifted further and further away until they disappeared completely. Shen had just started cleaning his feathers that noises caught his attention again. He heard someone running and Rose appeared in front of the cell with keys in one hand. "Hi Shen! Are you okay? "He nodded. "Listen ... now I'll let you go! But don't try to escape! The punishment for both of them would be terrible! "The girl said opening the door. "Sorry, but wouldn't that be exactly what you just told me not to do?" Shen asked as soon as he left the cell. "What are you talking about?" Asked Rose in confusion. "You told me not to run away and since I just got out of the cage they put me in, I'd call it a getaway! No ?! "the peacock explained that he was not at all intent on going back inside, despite what he had just said. "All right ... you don't have to leave the castle! I got it!? Now follow me! "The girl said before starting to climb the stairs.

As he walked Shen could not help noticing the majesty of the building. It was ancient, it looked good, but it seemed to have lost nothing despite the time elapsed. The ornaments, even if ruined, looked splendid all the same. Rose pushed him sharply against a wall and saw that they had just avoided two guards. It didn't take long to get into the girl's rooms and Shen was surprised to see that a couch had already been prepared for him. "Have you already planned everything?" He asked as he sat down on comfortable cushions. "Guilty!" She said as she carefully hid a large box under the bed "Wait till I get a sponge and a towel," Rose said before disappearing into another room. "I'm hungryyyy!" A sudden scream made Shen jump and saw an albino barn owl perch on the headboard. As soon as he noticed he smiled "Nice to meet you, my name is Fa! I'm Rose's bodyguard! "He introduced himself. _"I would say his pet more!"_ The peacock thought before saying goodbye to him too "My name is Shen, delighted to make your acquaintance" he said, bowing his head slightly in respect. Rose arrived at that moment and sat down next to the peacock. "Thank you!" Shen said handing a wing towards the sponge to get it. The girl hesitated and looked with wonder at the feathers of her rump, only to return to him with a pleading look. The white peacock remained impassive, making it clear that he would not have satisfied her. He still had his pride! And he wouldn't let anyone touch his beautiful feathers! Eventually the girl gave in and handed him the towel, with which Shen began to clean herself. She put a bucket full of hot water beside it and then ran out of the room. Once the cleaning was finished, the peacock turned to the owl. "When will I be able to return to the reserve?" He asked impatiently to join his friends "in no time! You know, it's only thanks to you if no one has been caught! You made sure the guards intervened quickly! "He said Fa enthusiastically. "I just did what I thought was right!" The peacock replied atop. "Yes, but those who are captured do not make a good end! So I guess the others will be grateful for what you did! "He said Makes a box open first and pull out some cookies. He handed her one, but he refused.

After the events of the afternoon he was not so hungry. He also could not understand this gratitude. He had been knocked out in a fraction of a second and the animals would really have been doomed if the guards hadn't intervened! Screams caught their attention and the barn owl went to take refuge on a window sill. "How dare you!" Again Derek "Father ... he was very scared! What should I do? "Rose tried in vain to defend herself" He is a savage! He could have killed you! "The father shouted again. "Killed by a peacock! It's not something you hear often ... in fact, never! "The girl replied again before the door was opened. Shen was in the opposite corner of the entrance, but immediately jumped to his feet when he noticed a large whip in the man's hand. "Damn bird! I must remind you of your position! "Derek shouted before snapping the whip. The peacock managed to dodge the first slash, but the second hit him on the side, making him moan and fall to the ground for how powerful he had been! He wasted no time and hissed threateningly at the human. He still had iron gloves on his paws and would not be intimidated ... Rose got in the middle "Father! It's just a bird! If you whip it you may seriously hurt him! And we can't let him die! "The girl said between tears. "The same will happen!" After the statement came the silence in the room. "W-how?" Asked a shocked Rose "This winter will be the coldest ever recorded! Their homes are too rudimentary to protect them! "Derek said heartily for that terrible impending loss. "The secret!" His daughter tried. "They are even colder in winter!" Her father disillusioned her. "There is a completely uninhabited castle wing!" His daughter reminded him. "I won't let them run free endangering other lives!" Derek protested. "Then adapt them to keep animals! It will be much better than losing them all after years of hard work! "The girl insisted. The father seemed to think about it for a few minutes before leaving without saying a word.

Rose approached Shen with a sad expression "Sorry! I couldn't protect you! "She said heartily" Instead you did it! He would have continued to whip me without your intervention! I thank you, but now I wish I could go back to my friends! " The girl smiled "Of course! He says tomorrow he'll show you a way to reach me without being seen by the guards, so I could get to know you better and whoever wants to follow you! "He said before beckoning him to follow her. Rose didn't say a word as he walked the peacock back to the reserve. He was looking for a solution, Shen could read it on his face, but he decided to worry before his friends. It would have been useless to worry about winter if they could not even protect themselves against a group of poachers! Once inside he was surprised when he saw everyone gathered in front of the gate. Xu and Kuen looked at him happily and were the first to approach. "Thanks Shen!" Said the puma with obvious gratitude that shone from his eyes. "For being knocked out right away and endangering you and Xu?" The peacock asked sarcastically. "In all these years we have feared humans, except little Rose. We believed them invincible! That's why every time they attacked us, what we did was run away without looking back! "Xu said. "You have proved otherwise! We can defend ourselves, especially if we remain united! "She said, stepping forward. Kang and Tai looked at him with disapproval, but gave no voice to their thoughts. "Teamwork is not safe unless we know each other well and trust each other! We have to work hard and make sure the poachers will think twice before attacking again! "Shen said opening the big tail to give more emphasis to his words. Everyone rejoiced ... almost all! Most of the peacocks remained impassive to his words. Who too incredulous or frightened by what this would have meant!

"Let's go celebrate!" Hua said waving his wings. Before being able to answer, Shen intercepted again the looks of the two older peacocks and said "I'll join you in a moment!" Before going to his fellows. While everyone was heading towards the main clearing, only the peacocks remained there. "What is it?" Shen asked nervously from the tense silence. "Why do you think we taught you how to camouflage yourself?" Zhuang asked with an angry frown "Why did I tell you the story of the jackal? To bring the same mess of that time? "The green peacock insisted. "I just wanted to protect you!" Shen replied in kind. "I know! But you did it the wrong way! "Tai said" Now you've got those animals that can rebel against humans! This will only bring trouble! "Kang admitted extremely nervous. "Okay, I'll convince them not to react against men, but something has to be done!" Shen insisted "What do you mean?" Sheng asked, much more interested than the elderly. "Do you really want to live the whole life confined here? Won't you regret not having really lived in the outside world? Do you want to spend your whole life thinking about how it could have been? "Shen asked, hoping to move those dormant souls. The young Xian, Xing, Lang Min, Ju, Jiang, Zhi, Chu, Fai, Dong the opal peacock, Juan the cameo peacock, the twin sisters Li, Ling, and Liu and all the others stirred in front of such questions. They were young, with a rebellious spirit, so it was normal for them to be more influenced than adults by that speech! "There's nothing for us out there!" Tai said visibly scared. "Just because you keep looking at the hedge does not mean that beyond it there is no world to discover!" Shen said that he was starting to get angry about such dullness. "What?" Churches confused Hong "It's a metaphor, idiot!" Yong said. "I got that! What do you believe! "His brother protested, turning all red. "I come from a big city where people peacefully live their lives completely ignoring the existence of humans!" Shen continued. "You mean we have to go live there? It wouldn't take us long to find Derek! "Kang said, still not convinced.

"... and from what I understand Derek doesn't want to be discovered! I understand that being a ghost he has a lot more freedom ... but once back home it will be difficult for him to take us if we stay in the big cities! "Shen said ignoring the bitter taste that was created in his mouth for that lack of respect and trust. "He will kill all those who see him! Do you want to be complicit in a massacre? "Kang asked with obvious anxiety. "Then we'll hide! In the mountains, where no wall or barrier can prevent us from moving freely! "Shen insisted. "We will still be prisoners! The fear of being found will confine us somewhere! "He pointed out that Lu-Chu was scared most of all. "Then running away we will give Derek such a lesson that he will no longer be looking for us! Or if he takes us back we might have at least tried to rebel and have lived, even if briefly, a life in full freedom! "Shen concluded. "The boy is right, Kang!" Tai said suddenly. The white peacock felt the anger snaking under his feathers when he was called a boy, but he decided to keep the offense for himself! "I know! We cannot prevent our children from living their lives. Only up until now I was convinced that we had no chance to escape! "Kang admitted. "If we work together, we can do it!" Sheng said, now fully convinced. The others nodded simultaneously. "Shen, you seem to be used to making plans like this! Am I wrong perhaps? "Tai asked suspiciously. "Not at all! More than once I led groups of mercenaries on dangerous missions! Only now our enemy is man! "He said trying to be convincing. The mercenaries were his wolves who were part of the royal guard of the palace, but in the last part there was some truth. They often went out to hunt bandits and Shen honed his fighting skills and tactics! Now they had to study humans well in order to succeed! And learn to work together! The animals in the reserve were not enemies to each other, but they had never worked in a group!

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The following morning the panic took over when hundreds of armed men began to gather the animals. Kang and Tai had been trying for more than an hour to calm the spirits, succeeding only for a hair. They were on the razor blade and knew that the situation would not remain unchanged for much longer! "Have our revolutionary plans already been discovered?" Xian screamed in exasperation. "If you continue to scream like a rag-picker they will be screaming very soon!" Dishi scolded him. "What are you saying! They don't understand an accident of what we say! "Kuen protested that he found himself with a heavy iron collar around his neck. The humans had managed to chain most of the cats, while others tried to control the large Ning and Pei cattle that threatened a charge every five seconds. "Kuen is right! See! LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION! LONG LIVE TH... "a rowdy Jun was silenced by Zhi "Shut up emeritus idiot! There is Rose! "He said pointing to the girl approaching. "Please, I ask everyone's attention!" The girl screamed raising both arms. "This winter will be extremely hard! Snowfalls will be abundant and extreme frost! For your safety we have decided to make you stay in a wing of the castle specially created for you. You'll be a little tight, I admit, but warm! Now the guards will escort you in! "Rose said pointing to the latter. "Four months confined between walls? Rather kill me now! "Xu protested. The girl looked at him slightly confused "Listen ..." she began to snap her fingers as if she had suddenly forgotten something "Xu!" Kang came to her rescue "Right! Xu! "She said enthusiastically" I'm sorry, you are so many and sometimes I have doubts about being wrong ... "" Get to the point! "The panther hissed. "When the cold won't be so hard you can go out and stretch as much as you want! But for birds and cattle it's best to stay warm most of the time! I do it for your well-being! I swear, as soon as you ask me out to be able to let off steam, I'll do it! "Rose said putting a right hand on her heart and raising the other. Venturing through the race? But what did humans think of ? Finally the panther gave way. He knew well that there were animals more sensitive to the cold than others and to avoid harming their health he decided not to appear too selfish and comply with such a request. Fortunately it was only a few months!

"Rose, isn't it that you would let us all take the essentials to transfer?" Shen asked, trying to be kind. "Everything's already there!" She replied. "Even the clothes?" The peacock insisted. The girl gasped "Oh! G-gia! I hadn't thought of those! All right! Let them go! "He ordered the guards who, after having obeyed, ran towards the entrance, afraid of no longer having control of the situation. "Thank you! In an hour we find ourselves here again ... "Shen began" Half an hour! "She corrected him. "All right! But no chains! "He decreed" What? "She asked in astonishment. "I trust them! They will obey without arguing since what you are doing is a favor. Besides, you would gain a lot of confidence by not making them feel like prisoners! "Shen explained. Rose seemed to think about "They're friends ..." He tried, but when he saw the peacock's resentful look he gave up "All right! But it will be your fault if something bad happens ... ". Before collecting things, all the animals gathered in the square. "They'll soon lock us up in the cages for the rest of our lives!" Guo groaned loudly, an albino panther. "Since when are you so argumentative?" Tai asked with a furious look. "Since when someone finally remembered that we are not just animals! We are not a bargaining chip or a commodity! And he decided to fight for us! "The panther said fervently. "I follow you with confidence Shen! If you can get us out, you will have my eternal loyalty as well as my services! "He said bowing to the peacock, who was not the only one to be surprised. "You must not! I want to run away together just to be able to live free and not tied to someone else! "He said with conviction as he already had a whole pack of wolves on his side! Even if some more allies wouldn't hurt ... but not them! No, he would have always seen them as his peers, not as subordinates! "Once I'm free, I'll decide what to do with my life! And if I want to swear allegiance to you, you can't stop me! "Guo insisted. Also others joined him and not only felines, also many other animals and ... peacocks! Some seemed indecisive or against since perhaps, they had different plans, but Shen didn't care. They were already numerous!

"We will do the one requested by Rose!" Everyone jumped at such a statement. "Shall we be good in the cage?" Shu protested. "If it is necessary for the success of the plan, yes!" to the two interviewed. "We will have a chance to study humans in depth during these months as we will live in close contact. So we could avoid hurting too many once we decide to run away! "Shen said looking at Tai and Kai and seeking their approval. He knew well that, having grown up in captivity, they and a few others had become attached to Rose and some of his friends. For this he was certain, that to have their support too he had to show a pity that would have been saved very willingly! "But ... they kept us in cages for a long time!" Syaoran said giving voice to the thought of many. "It's true! But there are two questions that led me to this decision: first, if we kill them we risk to alienate many more, second and very important ... we are not like them! We respect the lives of others, however despicable they may be! And then ... if they die they will not be able to see what they have been building for years crumbling under their feet! Without us they will be ruined! I like this idea much more than killing them! "Shen said, unable to suppress a grin of pure satisfaction. Everyone rejoiced and the white peacock let out a faint sigh of relief. If the plan had taken shape it had to secure the support of everyone so that it could lead to success!

**And here is the latest update! See you in September. I wish you all happy holidays! **

**Laura-98M**


	12. Chapter 12

**PLANNING**

Apparently the humans had seen us well about the frost of that season. Whether through divination or other practices they had known so many things it didn't matter since they were now all safe from the cold winter. Shen had discovered that Rose had many secrets, so he couldn't completely trust her. The girl did not allow anyone to enter her room (secretly from the guards) without first being warned. As if he had to arrange the room for their arrival and Shen knew it was not for order or cleaning! He had repeatedly slipped out of the area reserved for them along with Mei, Xian or others and had seen with their own eyes a well-hidden and guarded room. After days of stalking, Dishi had managed to discover its contents: they were nothing less than ... weapons! The strange but extremely lethal weapons that humans used. They were so many! To be able to arm an army of at least a hundred men! And this was worrying! Such a well-stocked deposit could mean that they considered their eventual escape! Or they were simply in conflict with other villages and were alert for a sudden attack! Shen had opted for two solutions: to destroy them or appropriate them! Indeed, one, since they had no idea how to use them and the peacock didn't like the idea of using human weapons! But it was necessary to increase the chances of success. But Shen had realized that it would take a long time to prepare for the escape since he had to teach everyone to defend themselves, otherwise they would have gone to the fray!

A clear morning, despite the sun and the absence of clouds, the air was cold and many cursed when Mei opened the window to let the room air. They had been divided. In a large room only cats, in only two other peacocks and so on! It was not very comfortable sleeping in so many rooms, but at least during the day they could run independently through the entire wing of the castle. That morning they were abruptly pulled out of bed and taken to a room unknown to them. The felines and all the animals considered dangerous by humans, such as the crocodile Qi, the gorilla Kun, the bear Deshi and others of large size, were confined behind thick bars. The room was so large that it could contain them all. The peacocks and all the others were chained to a pole each. This was enough for Shen to understand what was happening: apparently humans did the fairs even indoors! Or Derek used every opportunity to display his goods! Rose approached Kang and since they weren't far away, Shen could hear the whole conversation. "I'm sorry! I was hoping this could be avoided! But we need it to be able to bear the expense of keeping you here at the palace! "The girl said visibly uncomfortable. "Quiet Rose! By now we are used to the insistent curiosity of those of your kind! I also see with pleasure, that you're doing everything you can to make us comfortable and I'm grateful! "Kang said with a warm smile. She seemed relieved and began to check that the various collars were not too tight. Once she arrived just before Shen, while fixing the muzzle of the young Yong, she was approached by three boys of her kind.

"Then Rose! Why don't you talk about peacocks! "He said what seemed to be the dumbest" Yeah, to talk to them you'll have to do it! "The second said, while the third didn't articulate a word, merely laughing. The first grabbed the girl firmly by the arm, pulling her to him. "Then! When we tell you to do something we demand to be obeyed! Let us hear the peacock's sound! The second boy took her for the other arm and together they lifted her and brought her closer to the birds "Come on! Let us hear your angelic voice that ... " The boy could not finish the sentence that Yong uttered an extremely sharp peacock cry. After a first moment of surprise the boys continued to bore poor Rose "What did he say?" Said one "Translate! It is only for this reason that your dear papino held you, otherwise he would have thrown you in the garbage by treating you for what you are ... a refusal! "The other said. Shen's tolerance limit was reaching the limit. As always, he saw in Rose himself: insecure, a prisoner of prejudice and bored by bullies. But the straw that broke the camel came immediately after. Not getting any satisfaction with one of their kind, they saw good to take it out on someone who could not defend themselves. "Did you want to defend her?" The first boy said, hitting the young Yong with a piece of wood taken from who knows where. "Is she your friend? Do you think it's your mom? "She gave him a second hand and kicked him. "Look Tom, the little bird is a coward!" The dumbest boy said. The friend laughed together with the third individual who seemed to be an illiterate since he had not articulated a word. "You're right, John!" Said the one named Tom. "Leave him alone!" Screamed Rose. He turned and saw that the guards were too busy with the other guests to show interest in a fight between boys. "Otherwise what will you do? Not ... "Tom could not finish the sentence that fell badly from the back giving a terrible skull on the ground. He groaned and when he sat up he trembled as he found himself facing a very irritated white peacock that hissed at him. "Get out of my sight!" Shen said, wondering how he could keep himself from doing much harm to those two excrements! The two boys only heard a strange sound coming from the peacock, but it was enough to make them run away.

Rose approached Yong "I'm sorry!" He said sadly "Quiet!" They didn't do anything to me! "The young man said, trying to be casual. The girl walked away visibly furious. "There was no need for you to intrude! The situation was perfectly under control! "Yong said, rubbing his injured chest. "Really? And when isn't it? "Shen asked with obvious sarcasm. "You have a strange way of thanking!" A voice reached them from behind. "He attacked a human! My father says that they don't easily forgive! "Yong explained visibly frightened to Mei. "He didn't hurt him! Indeed, we could say that he stumbled into Shen's tail! "He countered the cat. "What's up?" Xu asked, attracted by all the confusion. "A human has stumbled into my tail and now they accuse me of aggression!" Shen explained calmly. "But it's absolutely not true!" Yong protested. "The truth has many points of view!" Mei specified. "Did you defend the human?" Xu asked as he uttered the last word as if he had said "dung dung"! "Thing? No! Who do you think I am? I saved Yong from a beating! "Shen defended himself. "I had the situation completely below with ..." "And when is it not?" Mei asked interrupting Yong. "That's exactly what I asked him!" Shen said, tired of the stubbornness shown by the young peacock. "It's useless to argue with you! Never listen to what others are saying! "Yong said, wounded in pride by the fact that he had not managed to get by on his own. _"I could say the same thing!" _Mei thought wisely deciding to end that useless battle and keep quiet instead of arguing again.

"Two months have passed and it seems to me to be locked up within these walls for a lifetime! Am I just sick of this situation? "Kuen asked restlessly as he approached the group. "You are the only one to have expressed your thoughts! This is little but sure given the tense air you have been breathing for days! "She said before curling up on the floor. "I do not understand! Why confine ourselves to such tight spaces? Want to find out about our endurance level? "Xia said, a rosy leopard in agitation. As if they were just a few, the twins Li and Lim joined the conversation, the first was an albino tiger while the other was ... "normal"! "Very likely!" Li said. "Otherwise, it can't be explained!" We could very well have survived this winter! "Lim said. "He is focused on himself, he has no eyes or heart for what happens around him." Sheng said that until now he had remained silent beside Shen. "He is the egocentric!" Yong replied, proud of knowing the answer. "We peacocks and other mammals would probably have perished if humans had not" locked us in ". See it from your point of view, but for the sake of many, some have had to sacrifice themselves! "Sheng explained. "If this was the problem why didn't they just put you in a cage?" Xu asked, nervous that the peacock was right. "Maybe they couldn't have checked us well if we were split up!" Mei began to reflect. "Sorry, but the reserve extends for many kilometers! Can you tell me how they can control us when we're in there? That cannot be the problem ... I believe! "Xia said. "Perhaps humans believed that we would not survive either!" She said, remaining curled up. "Do they think we're weak?" Kuen asked irritably. "It's a hypothesis!" The feline tried to calm him down. "Or maybe they acted without thinking about the consequences a prolonged confinement would bring!" Mei concluded. "The human said he would open the gates for us at the first request!" Xu said more and more furiously. "He lied! We shouldn't be so surprised! Humans always say the false, it seems to be in their nature! "Kuen said, whose spirit did not seem to have been appeased by a small lie. "It's not true! She promised to let you out only when she was a little warmer!" Yong protested that he couldn't keep quiet while others were screaming about his best friend.

"Peacocks ... friends of humans!" Xia growled. "They did not understand that at the first opportunity their beloved mistress will betray them by ceasing to worry about them and our well-being!" Xu added quietly. Shen snorted loudly and the cats turned to him. His gaze demanded calm, and for this reason no one dared to say anything else about the young human. Over time, respect and trust in Shen had grown on all animals. But the felines, led by Mei, were those who were more deeply attached to the young peacock. It was his spirit, enterprising and strong that he managed to drag everyone. Shen had proved balanced. It didn't matter if the world around him collapsed piece by piece, oppressed by the chains of imprisonment. He had remained firm on his convictions, continuing to claim that they would soon regain freedom. It was the rock in the middle of the storm. He acted without reacting. He kept a cool head and a surreal calm even if the escape plans had been temporarily slowed down since they had been relegated within the palace walls. He was resolute, given that every day he made numerous decisions, taking responsibility for the fate of those he sent on espionage missions. And intact, given that he had kept his word, continuing to work on the escape plan. Also protective. Being the only one capable of fighting, he had repeatedly dismissed too curious guards from mammals who could do nothing against the wooden sticks with which they were armed. Besides, Shen wasn't stupid at all. He knew well that Rose was fundamental in their escape plan. Thanks to her, even the older peacocks would have worked together and wouldn't have felt torn from the place they had called home for years! But above all, being a human his help would have been the key to success since he knew in depth the enemy being in part one of them!

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It was perhaps the first time she was so furious. As long as they took it out on her, everything was fine, but seeing her best friend abused had been the limit to her patience! By this time the guards had already finished bringing the animals back to their place so they were no longer in danger, but had to discuss the problem with his father. It was fine if they asked for tufts of hair or some feathers from those rare specimens, but treat them like garbage no! Perhaps, in one fell swoop, she would get rid of those three bullies who haunted her from a good year! Fortunately she found his father in the living room, intent on reviewing the day's earnings. Tourists paid any amount, even just to see the famous and collector's treasure from afar! Fact that Derek used to his advantage as soon as possible. Amazing how good intentions and overflowing enthusiasm can be destroyed in such a short time. Rose took a while before deciding to speak "Father ..." She tried to start "See that you do not get bored with tantrums!" Her father replied without bothering to look at her. "... some guys kicked ... a peacock!" He was about to call him by name, but he stopped just in time. His father hated that he spent time with animals, let alone if he started treating them as peers! "Nonsense! Barrows between boys are not my priority! "The parent complained. Rose was tempted to surrender and take refuge in the room, but the deep friendship that bound her to Yong and Hong did not move her an inch. She then tried to play on a very sensitive pin of her father. "They risked killing him!" She said with conviction. Yes, the financial loss, more than a lifetime, was enough to have the full attention of the parent. "Write me the names on this sheet!" Derek said handing his daughter a piece of paper "I will see that he is forbidden to approach my collection again!" The girl exploded with joy. Without saying a single word she did as he was asked. Of course, she would meet them at school, but from now on those bullies would be exiled from her home!

Now only one last question remained: let his friends go out into the garden for a few hours! He had promised it to him! And it was more than two months since any of them put a nose or beak outside the building. He absolutely didn't want anyone to think she was a liar! So she would have succeeded! She was much more attached to most peacocks since, in the reserve, they were the animals she had approached without fear since the first time. But he aimed to forge strong and lasting ties with everyone else too! Winter was still long and despite school commitments he always found time to spend with his friends. He had to look for something to pass on their time, otherwise he would have risked dying of boredom, other than cold! He had thought carefully, perhaps she, Yong and Hong were the only ones who found jokes about the guards really amusing. Then something else should have been invented for all the rest! Perhaps ... he could have made them better know the world of humans. Traditions, music and everything that would come to mind. Technology was better to exclude it! Already animals with human attitudes were strange! Imagine if they started talking to each other on the phone, or via skipe! Rose ran to her room and pulled out a huge red billboard on which she would put a list of the various things to do, day by day. He would have needed others since winter was still long. Perhaps opening up would benefit their relationship! And maybe she would have discovered more about the past than some of them, new news than what Fa had told her.

**I'm back! I hope you all had a good holiday!**

**In these days I will make several updates so that the story can continue and to give everyone a bit to read! I know that Shen is different from how it is presented and I hope I don't change it or make it too soft! If you think so, let me know, thanks!**

**Soon I will introduce a new character that will be fundamental for the mental stability of the young peacock. Since a wise figure is present in the first two Kung Fu Panda films, I have decided to put it in such a way that it guides and teaches the animals of the reserve as well as Shen.**

**I also wanted to thank Be Prepared and BookDreamCatcher for their good reviews and support.**

**Let me know what you think, any criticism, comment or remark are welcome.**

**See you soon, **

**Laura**


	13. Chapter 13

**THE GREAT MASTER**

"Can you tell how many knick-knacks these humans have?" Genji asked as he fumbled in a giant piece of furniture. "Frippery? But you saw that they have a room that is alone and uniquely full of clothes! "Said the albino squirrel Cong as he rocked on the chandelier. "How do these things emit light if there is no fire?" Asked the Sparrow Lok "Is it not fire? Yet he still burns! "His brother Long complained, flying to the right and left, following the rhythm of the chandelier, as long as he could see the bulbs better. "Interesting!" Bo admitted as he hung upside down in front of a huge mirror. The bat was held to a strange construction to which numerous and bizarre human clothes had been placed. He joined him "What?" He asked curiously. "All the furniture hangs from the ceiling!" Joked Bo. "Cabbage! It is true! "The ferret said, laughing, putting himself also upside down. "But does the time seem to you?" Jian asked, the albino blackbird that had perched on the headboard. "Guys! Mirrors also exist with us! I would show such interest to this container instead! "Ki Ju said as he carefully inspected a stadium trumpet, mixed with curiosity. Genji came out of a chest of drawers to slip into the lower one, before throwing all of its contents onto the floor of the room, facing the melanian squirrel Cheung, whose job it was to look for small, sharp objects like pocket knives, scissors or any other what could be useful to build arrows. Of course, this would have been possible only with the arrival of spring and their release in the reserve, but since the period of stay at the castle was about to expire, it was necessary to hurry up and make the most of the time by robbing men of useful things for escape. Especially because they, perhaps to avoid problems, had not given any kind of weapon. Then Shen had arrived and had not taken out his knives or sword ... but they were details!

Qiang, the albino hummingbird, was a lookout at the door, ready to let everyone go into the air ducts to escape any guard who was patrolling. Already, the homes of the humans were very large and not happy they had created a network of large metal pipes to get fresh and clean air everywhere. Too bad they were so big and resistant that they let us pass small animals. It was basically humans who built and offered something that would allow everyone to make their own comforts, like stealing, or even borrowing, some items strictly necessary for escape! The Jian albino blackbird came out of the bathroom completely soaked followed by a flood of water. Between the wings he clutched a medium-sized knife that was placed in the large bag gently and unknowingly offered by Rose. "Did you take a bath?" Lok asked, amazed. "How did you get there?" Jian asked sarcastically. "Brother, humans use magic to transport water closer to them!" Long said, extremely surprised. "What are you saying! It will be another damn invention! Cabbage! One never ceases to be amazed by their inventiveness! "Dishi said as he checked the contents of some large containers placed on the bedside table next to the bed, only to find inside them, apart from, a lot of paper. "But I have to admit that it was nice to be able to use water as a weapon against you!" Long said looking at the blackbird with a grin. "What do you say?" His brother asked curiously. "It was enough for me to move a piece of iron that poor Jian was hit by a flood of water and found himself on the other side of the pool!" Lang explained. "I will avenge! Remember that! "He said the blackbird in question as he dried himself with a piece of cloth found in the bathroom. "They're really good at painting, there's nothing to say!" Cong said, looking at some photos on the dresser. Bo joined him "But how the hell did they do it to ..." he was abruptly interrupted by a high-pitched sound and after making each a jump of at least two meters they ran to hide in terror. After several minutes of absolute silence, Genji leaned out of the big drawer in which he had taken refuge in the most total panic "Are you all right?" He asked in a whisper. "For nothing! I lost ten years in ten milliseconds, do you realize? "Dishi asked as he poked his head through a large vase.

"The lookout must be faulty!" Bo complained as he left the clock in which he had entered. "I have not seen humans!" Qiang affirmed with confidence. A flap of wings preceded the arrival of Wu, the albino kingfisher "Ragazzi! Everything good? I heard a strange and very frightening noise! "He asked still shaken. He was the only one on that mission who had moved alone. His job consisted of going ahead to find rooms to which he could easily access and with a few guards, in which there were useful objects small enough to be easily taken and hidden. Not seeing nearby dangers he immediately ran to his friends once he heard that strange noise, alarmed and convinced that they were in danger! "But if it was not the humans ... then who was it?" Lok asked "And how?" Long asked. "Excuse me ..." everyone turned to Ju who had simply fallen to the ground badly after the fright "... I think I made that noise!" He admitted, heartbroken that he had created so much havoc. "I didn't know you kiwis could make sounds like that!" Jian said, bewildered and amazed. "It wasn't me, but that thing!" Ju said, pointing to the container he had been examining with extreme curiosity a while ago and was now looking very frightened. Everyone's attention shifted to that strange object that now lay on the ground next to the shocked kiwi. "How did he do that?" Cheung asked as he stepped out of a large vase after hiding in a large green helexine near the entrance to the room. "I pressed a kind of mechanism at the top of the container!" Replied Ju. "I don't hear or see anyone! Go ahead! "Qiang said that he hadn't wasted any time and started back at the door. "I think the hummingbird is right! For today I would say we can go! "Cong said, jumping on a big cupboard under the air duct entrance. "In your opinion, when will they realize that we are making a lot of noise?" Churches asked as he entered the tube "We've been searching in their stuff for several weeks! I don't think they'll ever get there! "Genji said laughing before disappearing inside the duct.

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A full-blown Mei avoided Fai, who walked quietly in the soft snow as they waited for Rose's expected arrival. Which fortunately did not delay! At last the humans had opened the gates and apart from the night, they could spend the whole day in a limited area of the reserve. It wasn't much but already something! Hong and Yong had received orders from Xian to make more confusion than usual. The motivation behind this request was unknown, but being the only time they had free camp they had let loose, making the guards take shots with the few remaining firecrackers, or sprinkling the humans with the paint kindly offered by Rose. Not even Kang or Tai had complained and the fact, even if strange, had been extremely exciting! Meanwhile, the girl had been very busy explaining human holidays to anyone interested, so as not to take part in any of the twins' jokes for days. Many had been thrilled to learn about the many festivities of its people and even some strange tradition. What had most impressed them according to Rose, given the exorbitant number of questions, was the race behind the cheese! In a village in a place called Brittany, humans celebrated the traditional cheese race every year, a dish much loved by humans. Told it seemed very simple, as well as bizarre: from a very steep slope the humans rolled down a cheese, circular in shape, as almost all the cheeses apparently, and behind it began to run dozens of boys and girls at a speed impossible to control for the human body, so much so that they always ended up practically flying! After a story of the genus Hong and Yong had promised to try another kind of food, since they did not own this mysterious cheese. At the time Rose was explaining the operation of a glider with the help of a large drawing depicting this object. After having satisfied the curiosity of the animals on the airship, they had ended up talking about gliders because she had let slip that word! Once the "lesson" was over, Rose had gone home, while everyone had gone to their homes to have lunch together. While some had stopped in the main square to discuss.

"Now we know how to make that thing work!" She said moving her happy tail. "Already! The human has provided us with a perfect means of escape! "Shu said equally enthusiastically. "In your opinion, did you realize that we are exploiting it to obtain information in view of the escape?" Lang Min asked. "I don't think so! Remember that we have put up with his stories of human traditions! "Hua answered, trying to hide his curiosity about what Rose had told them. She was one of the few to have such a desire to learn more about the world in which they suddenly found themselves catapulted, given that everyone else thought of their future life in freedom. "What's with the speech?" Xu asked confused. "Since we have heard many stories about the human world, it is normal to even ask for such things!" Hua explained. "Are you talking about the airship and the thing that allows humans to fly?" Shu asked. The owl nodded. "He's right! If we are interested in more things we will never understand that we are using it! "Kuen said. "We're not using it!" Lang Min protested. "No?" She asked teasingly. "It seems bad to say!" The peacock defended herself. "You ... have guilt feelings ... for the one who keeps us in a cage?" Xu asked, surprised. "He is a living being! Exploiting someone in this way, planning plans behind him and pretending to be interested in all the things he says seems petty to me! Even if he is one of our jailers! "Lang Min said, feeling immediately light after being able to express his thoughts. Everyone in the reserve knew that newcomers, captured by adults rather than raised in captivity like most peacocks and some other animals, did not like humans other than being locked up. Shen approached the group, attracted by the conversation. "Hi Sheng!" Kun the albino gorilla greeted him. "I'm Shen!" He pointed out. "Sorry, but without your silk robe you look like him! Seriously! "Kun defended himself embarrassed by not recognizing him. Those two looked very much alike, only the red color of the eyes and the long tail differed slightly, but they had to be close to be able to notice it!

"Has anyone seen the ghosts?" Ning asked, sitting on a large chair in front of a long table in the center of the square. "Not yet!" She replied imitating him. "This time the votes are against them!" Xu said, sitting directly on the table. "Jokes? I bet a whole ration on them! "Hua said suddenly frightened to death. A roar made everyone turn around and they saw that the culprit was Deshi, an albino bear with big problems of clumsiness. But he always managed to get by, even this time, since the trays he carried were still intact after he badly hit a tree. "Who wants lunch?" He asked, smiling. Everyone rejoiced and she ran to help him, while the others prepared the table by putting plates, glasses and cutlery. "Of course it's weird!" Shen admitted seeing what humans called a fork and with which they ate. It was ... different, skewering the food instead of grabbing it gently with chopsticks! "I understand you! I too had a bit of trouble getting used to it! "Mei said as soon as she arrived. She was about to head to Ji's house, but that crowd that prepared a rich outdoor lunch had seemed like a better choice. Every day went how it went! Only in this way he had begun to know more people. And apparently it was the practice, since everyone was doing so! "I still have things to take ..." Deshi was interrupted by the peacock and the feline who said in chorus "I'll help you!" Just to look surprised before doing what they said.

There was another strange thing: serving the dishes on the table! Shen realized that it was the first time he had done it since he arrived! A big problem! Perhaps someone had noticed that he was not behaving normally! He looked around, everyone laughed and joked while they organized the table. They were his paranoia as always! Even if, perhaps, spitting up orders and expecting others to do humble things like making beds or washing dishes, they could be alarm bells! He had to work harder ... even if he felt sick at the thought of having to touch the plates where others had eaten! But it was better for everyone if nobody knew about his past! Derek could have taken advantage of it and poor innocents would have suffered. Even his parents. Although lately he wondered if they deserved so much interest ... Fortunately Deshi brought him back to reality putting a large tray full of rice and vegetables between his wings. Shen decided to stop tormenting himself and walked to the table where the others were. He and Mei had almost arrived as much as the noises attracted general attention. "The ghosts are back, apparently!" Hua said happily. Xu growled, banging his fist on the table as the bet was lost for the umpteenth time! "Ghosts" was the code name they gave to spies, as humans had explained the strange events that had taken place in those last weeks, like completely messy rooms and vanished objects ... ignorant, superstitious! "Hi people!" Dishi announced himself as he jumped out of the darkness as he jumped like a rabbit. "Mission completed successfully!" Lok and Jian said as one bird as they carried a large bag flying with its paws. Xu wasted no time and once he ran he ran to hide it in Shen's home. It was the latter who decided that. He had been taught to take full responsibility for his actions and deal with the consequences and would not endanger the lives of others for his idea. He had been the first to put on an escape plan and for this reason, the eventual tests, that is the objects taken from the humans, would have been put in his secret laboratory. So in case, the blame would fall entirely on him.

"I took a lot of stuff?" Kuen asked curiously "Ten knives, a hammer, two scissors and one last thing I didn't understand if it's a hammer or a strange cooking tool!" "Either it's one thing or it's the other!" She said. "He was between cutlery!" Cheung specified. "Now it's weird!" Shu said. "Singular!" "Maybe a human idiot put him in the wrong place!" Mei said as she put a plate full of vegetables on the table. "When you see it you will understand! It's really bizarre as a hammer! "Long said" Unique of its kind, we can say! "Lok said before approaching the table attracted by so many foodstuffs. "A strange thing happened though!" He began to tell Genji to be interrupted by the sound of a bell. Those who were seated jumped up. The bell never sounded, except for one occasion: new arrivals! This could happen at any time of the day, even in the middle of the night, and the animals flocked, curious and excited, to see the new members of the great Derek's collection with their own eyes. A Shen, Mei and Bo had been told of how others had arrived at unlikely times of the morning and that everyone had woken up and ran to the secondary gate from which foreigners arrived ... even in shirt from night sometimes! That was also the case that time. No one cared about the uneaten lunch any more and in a short time they found themselves running with all the others towards the meeting place for occasions like that. Once they arrived, Shen saw that many were already there. Apparently impatience and curiosity is deadly! When the first animal was thrown in surprise verses came from everyone present. An albino cobra rose from the ground looking with as much disbelief at those in front of him. His arrival was followed by two large pythons, a mantis, a varanus and a last strange animal that Shen could not recognize for how bizarre it was. The newcomers were all albinos. Apart from the reptiles and the insect that bizarre porcupine seemed perfectly calm. As if there were no oddities in being captured by humans and put in a strange place with animals like him!

The gentle and calm gaze he transmitted sent Master Rino back to the peacock's mind. The same good heart seemed to shine from those eyes, even though the beard and the obvious wrinkles on the stranger's face suggested that he was many years old, unlike his traveling companions. Kang stepped forward from the others and spoke in such a way that every animal could hear him "Welcome, here you can lead a new life! All of you ... "the bird turned to the six newcomers with a warm smile" ... you are safe! I know the journey was hard, but I assure you that your suffering ends here! We are friends and we want you to feel comfortable ... "

**I must admit that I really enjoyed writing this chapter!**

**I always try to impersonate the animals that find themselves in this strange and strange world full of novelties that on one hand are curious to discover and on the other they fear seeing that they see humans as a threat! (and for good reason****)**

**The tradition of Brittany of which I speak is real contrary to the fantasy style of my story! Some time ago I had seen a video on youtube and I was intrigued by research discovering it!**

**The strange object the animals talk about is a meat tenderizer! **

**What I write is always part of history, so there is no intention to criticize or mock the customs of other countries.**

**I will welcome any advice or observation! **

**See you soon, **

**Laura**


	14. Chapter 14

**BELIEVE **

"What kind of animal are you?" Yong asked as he approached this species of porcupine. The stranger did not seem at all bothered by the question, at least not as much as Kang was that he looked reproachfully at the young son. "I am an echidna, also called a prickly anteater. My name is Jingjing young peacock "replied the stranger revealing his identity. "Nice to meet you I am Yong and he is my twin brother Hong!" Yong said trying to regain points with his father, introducing himself with education and avoiding further comments. Not far away others were getting to know some of the new arrivals. "Can we know what place it is?" Asked the monitor that was the most confused of the group. "You can call it a big cage!" Xu stated with folded arms. "See to plant it!" She scolded him "It is a large wood where we all live. Nice to meet you, Jie! "Said the melancholy female jaguar trying to make the newcomers feel more comfortable than Xu had done. "I am Zhen!" Said the big reptile "While he is Kuan!" He went on to introduce everyone to the albino mantis that had perched on his head. "Pleasure!" Said the insect, still visibly suspicious. The snakes were the most tense. They hissed at everyone and the cobra scared anyone. For this reason there was a distance of at least one meter between the reptiles and the group of animals that had approached him. Cheung and Dishi hid behind Ning's mighty legs, since, being noticeably reduced in size, the instinct made them stand guard over the threatening reptiles. Genji, being more bold, despite the safe distance, stood with his paws on his hips to watch the newcomers. It was she who broke the ice "I can understand you are scared! I was one too when I arrived here eleven years ago, but I assure you that none of those present wants to hurt you! My name is Genji. Who are you? "He asked, trying to be kind despite the tension he felt coming from reptiles.

"My name is Gan and he is my older brother Mu!" A completely white albino python came forward. His brother was more yellowish. "We could say that humans adopt, since they always kidnap the brothers!" Jian said quietly to Lok as they watched the scene from the top of a branch. "If they weren't just taking economic benefits out of our presence!" Long complained. "... treating us like exhibits!" Added Hua who was standing behind the two birds. They were interrupted by the cobra who finally spoke "My name is Zhu! Excuse me, but you will agree with me that, after being locked up in a tiny cage for days, suffering from hunger and thirst, I cannot easily trust myself! " that until then had been deployed so as to "intimidate" potential attackers. As the situation improved as the minutes went by, Shen could not get the image of Master Rino out of his head every time he looked at that thorny anteater. The great rhino had been his teacher for many years and only thanks to him, now, the peacock was able to defend itself in an excellent way. "Come on guys! Let's welcome the newcomers as they should! "Ning said, heading for the main square where they had left their lunch halfway. Even all those who had initially locked themselves in the house rushed in, to be able to share that moment and learn more about the new animals. During lunch the situation relaxed completely, except for a small group of felines, wolfs and peacocks included.

"Shen! We are worried! "She began the conversation." For what? The escape? "The peacock asked curiously. "No! Derek has captured new animals! "Dewei said, the melancholy serval. "Tell me something I don't know!" Shen replied impatiently. "If he has caught animals! Will continue to do so! What gives us the certainty that, once escaped, he does not begin to capture others like us? "Asked Zhong, a melancholy leopard. All the other felines nodded. Shen's eyes widened. They were right. Derek could have recovered from the economic blow that their escape would have caused! Not very sure, he wouldn't have stopped! Maybe he would chase them, or he could hurt others! "This means ... we have to stop him!" He said firmly. Many looked at him confused so he decided to explain "I continue to believe and claim that death is not the answer! If we kill humans we risk being hunted by their own kind. For this we will use his weapons against him! "The peacock explained. "The ones he keeps in the secret room?" Shu asked, surprised but excited to be able to try those seemingly harmless but really lethal objects. "No!" Shen said, making a face at the thought of exploiting objects invented by humans "Derek gets rich thanks to the popularity that his collection gives him! We will exploit it! "Shen continued to explain. "Such as? Pretending to be mistreated? "Tai-Yang asked, the melanic lion. "If only that would allow us to leave then we should have been released many years ago!" Guo complained. "I didn't mean this!" Shen said, regaining everyone's attention. The peacock turned in time to see Fa perching on a tree. "Hi, for those who don't know me I am ..." "Fa!" The barn owl was interrupted by a choir that pronounced his name. Rose's pet enjoyed considerable fame, it seems! "Y-yes!" The owl confirmed in surprise. He did not know all the animals in the reserve well and believed that it was the same for them ... but he was wrong, it seems! After a first moment of confusion he recovered himself "Over the years I have heard rumors about a group of humans who have never been happy to know us behind bars! Indeed, they fought for a long time so that we could be freed, without obtaining any kind of result, however ...

If we can make something serious happen, like an accident, it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back and the news would spread like wildfire given our popularity! As Shen said: we will exploit the fame of Derek using it against him! "He concluded Fa. "The humans will be too busy fighting each other and we will take the opportunity to escape! Once forced the main gate we will enter the building and through their complex system of sewers we will find a way out towards freedom! "Shen said. "So? Randomly? "Xu asked, a little convinced. "I studied every part of the plan in minute detail in these two months! Wen and Liang spent more time there than inside the building! "Shen said, using all the patience he possessed to keep the panther from doubting that he continued to doubt him. He hated being criticized! Perhaps because no one had done it so brazenly before, putting it in public trouble! The noble lords of Gong Men kept their lives long enough to whisper such malicious words away from his ear. An albino serval named Manchu was the first to express his opinion "But what did you do before being captured?" Indeed to be suspicious. Shen nervously fiddled with his throwing knives always keeping his wings hidden in his sleeves "I was a mercenary! This is why I am an expert in designing escape plans! I would not be here if I had not managed to escape from some prisons where I had ended up several times! "Lying was easier than expected. "What terrible accident will happen?" Mei asked curiously. "To this I still have to think! It must be serious enough to attract attention, but not too much, to avoid hurting anyone seriously! "Shen replied.

"Will there be any injuries?" Li asked worriedly. "It depends on what happens!" Shen replied. "Let the wounded pretend moribund!" Dewei said. "To be taken by humans more easily?" Asked Zhong nervously. "No, to inspire pity!" Replied Tai-Yang "To be honest I had thought: to bring humans closer enough to tear off his arm, but everyone is free to do what he wants!" Dewei explained. "Nobody has to hurt humans!" He immediately received general attention. "If any of them is injured or worse killed, they will respond with equal violence! That's what they do with animals classified as dangerous! They eliminate the problem! "He said with so much emphasis Fa, to make Shen understand that it had already happened! Someone too aggressive had been killed! He was not referring to the episode of the jackal, no. On that occasion the animal had attacked some of them, not humans! Maybe that was why nobody was interested in the fight anymore! To avoid getting killed! But Shen would not have been left with our hands! He had to do something before humans even had the chance to suspect something about what they had been plotting for months!

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The snow would not last long, the cold did, but not enough to allow the ice crystals to solidify and fall from the sky. Sam hadn't seen Rose for many months. Her parents had sent him to study far away and as expected she had been too busy with her father's collection to be able to see the numerous calls received on skipe! The boy stopped in front of the imposing gate of the large and ancient palace. He really seemed to enter the house of a royal given the magnificent ornaments that the building still possessed. Sam's gaze lingered for a moment towards the mighty walls that departed from a side of the building moving away from it for many kilometers to delimit the area in which the rare animals could move. A squeak attracted his attention and he saw that the butler had opened the door welcoming him with a beautiful smile. It was his father who planned the construction of the reserve, as well as renovating the ancient palace to make it habitable. Always he, he had used the east wing for the stay of the various animals. That was why he was always welcome, besides the fact that he and Rose were friends from an early age. He came excitedly to the idea of finally meeting his dear friend and followed the butler pounding through the rooms reserved for the guests, directed towards those of the masters of the building. Fortunately, there was no sign of Mr. Derek. Sam had respect for him, but he feared it too. Not because he was a coward, not for charity! It was the dark and angry character of the man that scared him! Once he arrived in front of Rose's rooms, once the butler had retired, Sam adjusted his tuft ... just to receive the door in his face! Good manners were not the strength of his dear friend! "Sorry! I never imagined seeing you again so soon! Can you help me look for Spanish traditions? There is that of the grapes, but I absolutely have to find more news otherwise ... "as soon as the girl entered the library the words were amplified by the echo and Sam, who was still on the ground, did not understand nothing more.

What the hell had she got into her head? For those animals he would have moved a mountain if he could have helped make them happy! "Hi Sam, it's a pleasure to see you again after so long! What did you do in the United States, or rather in Los Angeles for three months? "The boy said, trying to imitate a female voice as he entered the library. Rose poked her head over a large ladder holding a pile of books "It was understood!" She tried to apologize. "There is an internet for things like this!" Sam protested as he found himself, despite himself, replacing the mess that the hurricane had caused. "Fast and immediate search ... news to no end ..." the boy continued trying to persuade his friend to leave the room full of books ... "I enjoy it more like this!" Without positive results, as if he had any hope! Rose was a train. If you put something in your head, the world would fall, you would have done it! "You don't want to leave this lost island in the Mediterranean Sea?" Sam asked, changing the whole subject "Why?" Rose asked, trying to pay attention even while flipping through a large book while keeping her balance precariously. "To see the world! Instead of staying ... here! "The boy insisted. "I like my native island! Stop it! "She tried to close the conversation. "This piece of land? Really? I bet a few days in New York can be enough to make you change your mind! "Sam said sitting on a chair. "He has a name!" The girl protested "Really?" The friend asked sarcastically. "Yes, it has a Spanish name! Even if the gentlemen who govern this archipelago of islands are not Spanish! By the way, do you know where they come from? "He asked with sudden interest. "But why can you change the target of your curiosity so easily?" Asked Sam exasperatedly in an attempt not to appear foolish and ignorant in the face of this question. "The nearest island of which I know the name is ... Menorca! Gorgeous! Have you ever been there? "Rose asked looking at him as if to say" I've been there and you haven't! I have seen a little bit of the world! " Among them a simple glance would have been enough to tell each other what they had done in those months! Sam smiled: he was at home!

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Evening came. All the animals were neatly accompanied in the wing reserved for them, bordered by large bars. The new arrivals scattered as the rooms were already quite crowded. Jingjing sat on a comfortable pillow at the foot of a large bed occupied by four sleeping peacocks. During the winter, three meals a day were not allowed, but only two. When it went wrong, even one! For this reason, once they had returned home, many were immediately asleep. Energy had to be saved. "Before starting a journey, study the route well!" A voice distracted Shen from the cleanliness of her beautiful rump feathers. He turned and saw that the thorny anteater was watching him from where he lay, that is, not far away. "I don't understand what you're talking about!" He said, posing as a stranger to the obvious admission. He knew it! He had been there for less than ten hours and had already discovered it! "Boy, I see nobility in you. You are different from the others, you have had a comfortable life even though it is difficult! "This last statement made the peacock jump. "It's not true!" Shen whispered, unable to hide her frightened tone. Jingjing rose slowly and quietly left the room. Despite not saying anything Shen realized that he wanted to talk to him so he followed him. Once in the corridor, far enough away from too receptive ears, the peacock spoke "Do you know me?" He asked suspiciously. "My weak hearing heard the story of a cursed chick who would bring ruin to the city on which he was destined to reign," the anteater replied calmly. Shen felt trembling with anger. It was not enough to end up in a foreign country as a prisoner, the malicious rumors about him had managed to reach him there too! He picked up one of the throwing knives and prepared to use it. The anteater would learn the respect one owes to a prince as well as keeping one's mouth shut about that detail! "They said it so many times that in the end you too believed it!" With a sentence Jingjing was able to extinguish the fire ... Shen lowered his heartbroken head "Because of me ... the city was in danger! Humans ... "" If a river goes down it's not because you threw a stone into it! "Said the anteater. "Then why did they abandon me?" The peacock screamed, suddenly feeling free to be able to pull out his pain. "Do you really believe it or is that what the humans made you believe?" Jingjing asked.

"I saw it with my own eyes! They haven't moved a feather! They never looked for me! I hate them! "Shen said, sighing, trying to push back the tears. "Nothing hurts more than being disappointed by the person you thought would never hurt you," said the anteater. "But you don't have to create realities without answers! You will know the truth once you return home and I am sure that yours will still love you! "Jingjing finished with a smile" How can you be sure? "Shen asked in amazement" How you talk about them! You wouldn't love them so much if they didn't show you the same love! " Those words were like a caress on his wounded heart, but he recovered almost immediately convinced that he was falling into a pure illusion, which would have done nothing but bring nothing but suffering. "I don't care, not anymore! Now they are not part of my life! "The peacock said angrily. "Children start by loving their parents, then they judge them. Rarely, if ever, they forgive them, "said the elderly animal. The peacock snorted, he had never liked talking to someone who was continually right! "I'm talking about freedom, but I'm the first to have no idea what to do once you're out of here!" Shen admitted. Jingjing smiled "Don't complicate what is simple!" He said placing a paw on the peacock's wing. "All you have to do is ... live! Turn anger into strength, strength into passion, passion into love and start again! The secret to moving forward is to start! "Said the anteater. "How?" Shen asked confused. "You are looking for a way to escape, but first you must be free inside! Take down the bars in which your soul is locked! "Jingjing replied, jumping on a chair in the corridor. "I am a Kung Fu Master! It is a discipline that gives you no chance of hiding something from yourself, but it is an opportunity to accept you and give you the mental strength to face difficult times, "said the thorny anteater with such a high volume of voice that Shen had to turn around to make sure no one was listening. He grimaced. Years ago he had been offered the same offer by Maestro Rino that he had decided not to accept, for a simple reason "I ... I am not strong enough! It's not for me! "He said trying to convince Jingjing" Why are you so sure? "The anteater asked curiously" Because I'm albino! I'm weak! I've always been since birth! I have no claws, I can't fly ... I have nothing special! "Shen replied, surprised to have admitted so many weaknesses together. "When the sage points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger," said Jingjing. "You stop talking about puzzles!" The peacock protested. "People do not lack strength, but will." The anteater stated with the usual irritating calm. Shen felt himself explode "All right! From tomorrow you will teach me Kung Fu, so you will see the truth with your eyes! "The peacock screamed in anger. He would not have won it. Perhaps he would have made a bad impression, but at least the newcomer would have realized his limitations and perhaps he would have stopped insisting on wise inner sentences!

**Hello everyone! After some nice long holidays I started updating again! Since in every Kung Fu Panda film there has always been a wise figure who led the characters, I decided to introduce one myself! **

**The Master will be crucial for many of the animals in the reserve as it will help them fight the demons within them. Let me know what you think!**

**Any criticism and comment will be welcome. **

**See you soon,**

**Laura-98M**


	15. Chapter 15

**WHAT IS RIGHT **

Once the snow melted all the life, it started to flow normally. This did not apply to a certain peacock who tried to meditate in the middle of a small clearing, under the watchful eye of the Master. He was sitting on the ground and despite his eyes closed he could feel the presence of the anteater in front of him. He felt anxiety growing. It wore it from within. According to him, standing still and doing nothing amounted to wasting time and this was unacceptable! Especially in view of its glorious escape plans! "Follow the rhythm of nature: its secret is patience", said the Master, who was also busy relaxing in an attempt to influence the student. "I never thought I could ever see a miracle!" An exclamation caused Shen to open his eyes and turned to see Lang Min staring at him in amusement. "An albino peacock?" He asked, bored "No! You who are calm to meditate! You've never stopped since you arrived! "She explained as she sat down next to him. Shen suddenly felt uncomfortable. The females of his species had always laughed at him and avoided him so he had no idea how to behave! "Do you want to meditate too?" Asked the amused peacock "No, I would like to see this prodigy for a while longer!" And nothing. Meditation was impossible with her next, a little but sure! "First train your mind, then your body!" The Master said that he had not moved a comma. "I've heard rumors! I know that many of the cats will join you, you know Shen? "With that revelation Lang Min again succeeded in diverting the peacock from his good intentions to meditate. In the days following their release he had told many of his decision to train, but, even though he hoped to ignite someone's interest, no one had shown much interest ... apparently he was wrong! "Well! The group exercise is a very important step to rediscover one's strength! "Jingjing said, finally opening his eyes. "You have to learn to work in a team! You are used to being obeyed, now you will learn to listen! "The Master continued to say.

"Look, sunflowers!" Lang Min said, full of joy, saving Shen from other observations of the old anteater. "They're just flowers!" He watched the peacock looking at them with disgust. Those plants had what he had always wanted: the colors! That's why he never liked them! "They remind me of home! A neighbor cultivated them in his garden you know? He was always very kind! He taught me many things ... "said the peahen. Shen saw his gaze darken and could not help asking a question "Do you miss yours?" He asked cautiously. "For nothing! But my dear neighbor Jong, very much! "Lang Min said with a sad look. "Such as? But why? You're not abnormal! "He pointed out Shen. "Sometimes you don't need to be different in appearance!" She admitted turning her head to avoid meeting his gaze. "Why? My life was hell because of this! "Shen said, trying to shake the waters. He wanted to find out what was under those strange statements! He had known her for a long time, but before he trusted her he wanted to know everything. She looked at him uncertainly. The peacock sighed "Lang Min can you tell me! I swear I won't say a word to anyone! "It was absurd. Never in his life would Shen think he could talk like that to a female of his kind! Although, come to think of it, it was the first time since he arrived that they conversed without shouting at each other or making fun ... But Lang Min was special and different at the same time! It was stronger than he thought and this peacock liked it. Perhaps they were more like each other than they thought! "My mother left home when I was born. I don't know the reason behind this choice, but my father has always blamed me for it! But over time our relationship has improved. He started looking for a good party for me since I reached the right age. For the first time he was so happy and proud ... but I felt these feelings fade away after every suitor I sent away! Each of them had always and only the pure interest of the wealth that my consistent dowry would have brought! He didn't care about me for those greedy ones! But ... my father accused me of being the cause of continuous failures! The situation has degenerated to the point that we had to move because no male wanted to have anything to do with me! And because of me we had become the laughing stock of the village! "Lang Min said with a step away from tears" For this Shen ... I know what it means to be considered a disgrace! "She concluded, starting to cry silently.

"What are you doing here?" The peacock asked more and more curiously. "I ran away one night! I couldn't take it anymore! I thought I could manage on my own because I'm an adult ... instead! ... I saw them capture Shu! Then it was the first time I saw her, but when they found me they took me too! I don't know why! "Lang Min said putting his head in his wings.

"_Then will I also become his servant?" "Yes, but only after helping to expand the species!" _

At that moment Mei's words took on a real meaning! Even if, on second thought, it was better for her! Capturing it, the humans really gave her the chance to start a new life! "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" Jingjing's voice made them both look up "It wasn't a coincidence that your capture! Did you find a family here, am I right? "Master asked. Lang Min smiled "Yes! It's true! "He answered. "And they won't force you to marry anyone! So apparently, for you, it's better to stay behind these four walls than outside! "The peacock said just to say something. It was frustrating! He had always had the situations perfectly under control and now he felt lost because he had no idea how to act and what to say in such a situation! Then something absurd happened, she wrapped a wing around Shen resting her head against his shoulder. He responded by welcoming her into the embrace, believing that he needed comfort and not wanting to be so selfish as not to give it to him. It was fortunate that the Master had gone back to meditating, so he didn't notice anything and Shen was finally able to relax while, for the first time, comforting someone who felt a pain very similar to his! Many minutes later it was Lang Min who spoke first. Watching him amused, he said, "You have sensuality, you have style, you have intelligence ..." Shen smiled and puffed out her chest proudly. It was the first compliment he gave him! "... you have beauty, you have charm, you have a big heart, and I ... I was the wrong person! I'm so sorry! "And nothing! The spell was broken! Although, the genuine laughter of Lang Min who followed this tease managed to make him laugh too.

For the first time, someone had even managed to distract Jingjing from meditation. Seeing those two young people, after months of battles and provocations, laughing together, one thought came to his mind "_Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it!"_

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In the weeks that followed, the Maestro's students increased visibly. Fortunately it was not long before the rudiments of hand-to-hand struggle began to be learned. All the young peacocks joined the training and Shen was happy to teach his defense and distraction moves to his friends and brothers. Shifts were made to check that humans did not notice anything and to everyone's surprise the plan worked great. The ignorance of humans would have given them an advantage! Incredibly, in the end, even the older peacocks decided to learn to defend themselves by taking part in group training. Shen learned to land the opponent without causing him any kind of injury, just bruises. In addition to the felines, he also managed to defeat the powerful Ning who was the strongest among the cattle, gaining much fame as he had become one of the strongest warriors along with Mei, Xu, Hua and Ning. "The athletic value of Kung Fu is found in the education and refinement of movements that must still be fluid, soft and elegant in their fast and often complex succession of movements in which the centrality and balance of the body are fundamental!" Jingjing said as he showed a frontal whipped kick to Kang, Wei and Zhuang. Meanwhile, near the main square Sheng, Xian, Xing, Jiang, Jun, Chong, Shuang along with Xiao, Xian's new girlfriend and Ting Chong's girlfriend watched Shen as he showed them how to throw sticks at a scarecrow that served as a enemy. No need to hurt humans, but sending them into the world of dreams with a well-aimed blow on their heads would have reduced their numbers rather quickly. After a little practice Xian decided to give voice to everyone's thoughts "Shen, is it true that you are good at building things?" He asked "It depends what you want!" "Brother, you have a beautiful sword ..." "It's called Guan dao!" He interrupted and corrected Shen "... would you be able to build weapons for us too?" Chong asked, ignoring his comment.

"What kind of weapons?" Shen asked suddenly, curious. "Well everyone has a different idea about their weapon!" Jiang explained "Yes, we would like something unique and personal! What distinguishes us! "Shuang said that until then he had remained silent. "Once free they could attack the bandits! So having something to defend against would be very useful! "Xian said. "I am born and live in a round house, I take so many forms but you can't touch me and if you don't tell me, no one else can know me, who am I?" Sheng asked that he had failed to refrain from proposing an enigma. "The thought!" Xian answered automatically. "In your case, the negative one! Why, of all the inhabitants of China, should bandits attack us? "Sheng asked annoyed. "It's called caution! That is prudence in the acts and in the behavior also called circumspection! "Xian replied angrily" I know what it is! "Sheng screamed" No, instead! "He countered the other. "Okay!" Shen shouted, attracting the attention of the two litigants. "Come to my lab so I can sketch what you have in mind! But you two will think of a way to convince Rose to provide us with all the material we need for this job! "

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"I would tear those bipeds out of them!" Xu said, leaving deep traces in the wood with his claws to better understand the concept. "Remember that these beautiful thoughts of yours will remain so since we are not allowed to hurt any human!" She specified as she trained in a melee with Mei. The tiger threw a kick that bounced (elastic) flying against the leopard, hitting it in full. But Mei possessed, in addition to strength, also a lot of resistance and got up almost immediately after taking that terrible blow. He answered immediately with a double flying kick that was easily avoided by you. Mei threw herself into a sitting position, placing both her front paws on the ground to end the move with a parade of leg and a low sweep, causing the tiger that found itself displaced by the leopard's move while still on the ground to fall to the ground on its back. "Cursed!" Comment As she grabbed Mei's paw and helped her to her feet. "Once you avoided my attack you focused on your next move, so you lowered your guard and gave me the space to allow me to show off my skills on the ground!" Mei explained shaking her tail with enthusiasm for the victory as soon as obtained. "Those who fight can lose, those who do not fight have already lost" said the Master approaching the two cats. "Master!" Mei and Lei said in chorus, greeting Kung Fu. The greeting is a sign of respect for all Kung Fu practitioners. A sign of mutual loyalty for Masters or athletes, it is essentially a sign of belonging that binds all kung fu practitioners. It was a ritual form because it started and ended every fight or the lesson itself. It also constituted a moment of transition, both of preparation for combat, and of returning to calm after the assault, therefore also a sign of self-control. But essentially it represented the union of the Yin, that is the closed hand and of the Yang that would be the open hand that are balanced respectively with the palm (Yang) on the left and the fist (Yin) on the right exactly like all things: peace and war, strength and weakness, earth and sky, sun and moon. The Master confronted Xu who immediately became nervous. The panther could not have the same calmness as Jingjing and every time they approached he felt like he was suffocating from that feeling of the other, which still did not belong to him.

"Holding back anger is like holding a burning coal. With the intent of throwing it to someone else, you stay the one who is burning, "said the Master without interrupting eye contact. "You say you hate humans, but you don't. You hate to be seen as weak and they have discovered this fragility of yours, showing it when they locked you in a cage! "He said the thorny anteater with all the calm of the world. As if he were talking about how much sugar to put in tea. "It may be true ..." Xu began to reply "... but they treated us like objects! To satisfy their curiosity and their fun! Our desire to feel resentment is normal! "He protested expressing the thought of many of the felines. Maybe all. "You will not be punished because of your anger. It will be your anger itself that will punish you "the Master answered with extreme wisdom, not at all touched by the raging fury that came from Xu. Kuen went to the aid of his dear friend "Master, we will not harm humans once they have escaped! Is this not enough? We must also lose the little dignity that has remained and ... forgive them? "He said full of hatred" If we forgive them it is as if we accepted everything they did to us over the years! The chains, the tortures, the hunger we suffered because of them! "Kuen continued to say, hoping to make the elderly understand his point of view. "It is easy to believe that each of us is a wave and forget that we are also the ocean" said the Master with a disappointed look on his face "They are living beings just like us! If they had been other animals to imprison you you would have felt the same identical hatred! It is not because they are human beings that you hate them. You go against a mentality! You oppose slavery! "The Master explained. "My students remember: the weak is never able to forgive because forgiveness is a characteristic of the strong!" The anteater concluded before leaving, perhaps to meditate.

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It was late afternoon, but Rose decided to visit the twins. Lately he had ignored them preferring history lessons to the usual pranks and felt guilty for ignoring his dear friends. Once the school was over, she found herself immersed in homework because there was only one month left for the Easter holidays. But he had managed to organize himself in such a way as to stay at least an hour in the reserve, escaping the watchful eye of his father. Once he reached the gate he opened it and ran at breakneck speed through the large grassy expanse that appeared before her. As soon as he reached the trees he checked the chronometer and saw that he had taken fifteen seconds as usual. This meant he would have lost if it was a match against Hong. Those two were much faster than they appeared. Despite their long and heavy tails they moved with extreme agility and speed. She was surprised when she didn't find them on the usual tree where they spent a lot of time studying the various plans for their jokes. He began to wander around following the sounds he heard, but they were too far away to understand where they came from. Suddenly he saw Hua who was perched on a high branch, thanks to the white of his feathers it was quite easy to spot it. As soon as she noticed his presence, I raised my neck to the maximum by raising the feathers on it and appearing rather funny, before launching a verse that caused poor Rose to jump at least two meters. Shortly after he heard the sound of footsteps coming closer and closer and saw everyone, really everybody, given the exorbitant number, emerge from the thick vegetation and head for their homes. Hong and Yong approached her with the expression "_We were doing something we shouldn't have done_!" "Whatever you were doing, I want to take part too!" The girl said with conviction crossing her arms over her chest. "That is, would you like to learn Kung Fu?" Hong asked in amazement only to receive a tripping on the part of his brother who made him end up in the air. Rose reacted to this news by dropping her arms at her sides and gaping. They were ... what were they doing? Had he understood correctly? But after the initial surprise he replied with absolute certainty "Yes!" Life, in fact, is a struggle and perhaps if he had learned something he could even have started to live it for real!

**Here's another one!**

**Forgiving is often difficult, but perhaps the Master will succeed in making many people change their mind.**

**Who knows? **

**Laura-98M**


	16. Chapter 16

**PROBLEMS **

"We had decided not to tell anyone!" Kang said angrily "Now, you, you know!" Zhuang said with concern "It could ruin us!" In front of them, in the middle of the square, with everyone's eyes on them, Hong and Yong tried to courage each other. In their lives they had combined all colors, but this was the worst thing they had ever done! "We didn't do it on purpose!" He tried in vain to defend Hong. "Silence!" Kang thundered against him. "Dear grandson, I am sure it was not intentional. But now that girl could tell her father and if Derek began to harbor suspicion we would all be in danger! "Wei said strangely serene. The twins lowered their shattered heads and Kang could not help but sigh irritated. For many years he had tried to calm their lively spirits, but he did not believe he would succeed in such an abrupt way! "The past cannot be changed!" Chao said wisely, the youngest of Tai's brothers "Now we just need to find a way to stem the damage this revelation will bring!" He explained as he was still undecided on how to do it. "You two are punished for a week! Reveal some other details of the plan and I swear I will keep you segregated at home for a month! "Kang said sternly.

Hong and Yong nodded in fear before heading off, soon after, to the warm arms of their mother Lu-Chu who would give them the affection and comfort they suddenly needed. They had disappointed their father and Shen for a moment saw himself in those two young men. When he could not conclude an agreement with some rich gentleman he could swear that he had the same expression and had felt the same emotions that probably now stirred the soul of the twins. He recovered quickly, continuing to repeat himself to stop looking back and looking towards the future. Finally he spoke, "You're making a wind out of a hurricane!" He said with absolute certainty, though he was at least as worried as they, if not more. But a good leader never shows himself insecure! By attracting general attention with that simple sentence, he decided to continue "That girl is not like her father. I still do not trust her completely, but I am sure that it is essential for our escape plan! Hunting it and isolating it will not benefit anyone. Indeed, if we could convince her to help us, her collaboration will be precious and the satisfaction would be great: her daughter who rebels against the great collector! Derek would become the laughingstock of his people! "Shen said with a grin on his face as he looked forward to the moment. It was wise to rely on the feeling of revenge that lived in the hearts of many. In this way it would not have been difficult to convince them. But on the other hand he really believed that she was different, otherwise he would have let him die in the fire of the fair the year before. Perhaps, a relationship of mutual trust could have been born, with time ...

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Meanwhile Mei and She were busy showing what they had learned to the girl with the intention of distracting her from the meeting in which the others were busy. "Why do you want to learn to fight?" Xu asked as he stood with his back against a tree, his arms folded to stare at the young human. "In life, the more you know and the less you need!" Said Rose "But since you seem to be very busy with this Kung Fu I would like to try to find a meeting ground by training with you!" He explained at the end. "Why do you care so much about creating a bond of friendship with us?" Jie asked, unable to comprehend the fact that the human did not give up even in the face of the hostility shown by many, apart from the peacocks! "Really I do not know! Maybe it's because I'm very lonely. You know, being Derek's daughter treat me like I'm the princess on the pea! This is why my peers mock me and avoid ... I was hoping that with you it could be different! "Rose confessed thinking that sincerity could give her some more hope. "Who is the" princess on the pea? "Kuen asked, confused. The girl tried, tried with all her strength to remain serious, but it was all useless! He burst out laughing and only when he saw the faces of the felines offended he decided to explain the big misunderstanding "I'm not laughing at you!" He said wiping his tears "It's just a way of saying to explain the fact of being treated differently from other boys. I have privileges that I never wanted and they are jealous! "He finished explaining Rose.

Dewei joined them screaming "You will be late for training if you don't move!" Rose looked at the serval with curiosity. It had never been less than ten meters away from most of the animals that were not peacocks, even though they respected it, or perhaps feared it ... it was, in fact, starting to become familiar with them so it repeated itself inwardly "_No fool Rose! Control yourself!_". "Can I train with you?" He asked, twisting his fingers excitedly. "Yes, Master is waiting for you!" Dewei replied, signaling her to follow him. Once the serval and the human had left Xu decided to fully express his thoughts "They are crazy to let her learn to fight!". She, who fully agreed with what the panther had just said, felt compelled to add "It will end badly, very badly!" A leopard who had witnessed this exchange in silence made faceplam and decided he didn't want to listen to such depressing speeches anymore. "After this manifestation of confidence and positive vision of life ... we want to go too !?" It was not a question, more an affirmation given that Mei, once finished speaking, immediately began to run towards the clearing where training sessions were held.

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After a week the situation seemed to have calmed down. Except for a certain girl. "And this is the strongest football I can give!" Said Rose, resting her weight on her right leg while the other one was stretched upwards to kick frontally in full extension. It could have been considered strong enough, were it not for the fact that after just three seconds it lost its balance, finding itself belly up on the ground. "Question!" Sam said raising his hand as if asking for permission but not waiting for him. "Why don't you sign up for an after-school activity instead of being coached by an elderly and stinking echidna?" He asked, quite confused. "First of all ... don't insult my Master!" Said Rose with a threatening air after she got up quickly. "It is not your Master!" "Second ..." the girl continued ignoring the comment "... I have no desire to remain in that hell of the extra hours compared to the compulsory school hours!" "Then you have to start doing absences if you want to stick to the plan because the obligatory hours are less than those you make during a school year!" Apparently the same was not true for Sam who continued to bore her with his damned right reasoning . "And then ... you have to admit that if it wasn't for me, you would have already started taking private lessons!" The boy said sitting on a chair and resting his feet on the living room table. "What are you saying? I'm fine even without you! Attending a public institution was my choice, totally independent of you! "Said Rose proudly" If, if, like no! "Sam said, barely holding back laughter. His dear friend was a terrible liar!

"What do you say if we go to the movies tomorrow?" The boy asked enthusiastically. "That? Yes, I like the idea! What are we going to see? "Asked Rose curiously. "Avengers Endgame! A new movie has come out! "Sam replied expecting a positive reaction from his friend" Absolutely not! "Hope in vain! "Why? You love it! I waited a whole month just to see him with you! "Sam complained, fully disappointed by his reaction. "I haven't seen Infinity War yet! How can you expect me to go and see ... what is it? "He asked confused and amused to see his friend's stunned face. "You ... you haven't seen it yet ?!" He screamed at the top of his lungs Sam "There was a flood of time ago! ... how can it be! ... you are losing shots, you know ? "The boy asked incredulously. "Just for nothing! I'm just creating the foundation for a solid friendship! "Rose replied in tone" Those damn animals again! But when are you going to start spending more on this side of the wall! "Sam yelled exasperatedly. "If you knew them you wouldn't say these things!" The girl protested. "Know them? No thanks! Have you documented yourself? "The boy visibly shook while taking the phone in his hand. Once unlocked he started to list all the possible dangers in which the friend would find herself every time she entered the reserve "The claws of a bear are not retractable and are used for ... digging, climbing , tear and grab the prey! Even if instead of claws, it would perhaps be appropriate to speak of real "blades": they are enormous and can reach a length of even 14-15 centimeters! " Rose tried to fight back, but he went on "The wolf is a very territorial animal and when they attack they aim at the carotid artery ... the tiger ... you want me to illustrate the lethal weapons of this feline? "Sam asked excitedly.

Rose, who couldn't take the friend's paranoia anymore, snatched the phone from his hand and checked what he was reading. There were many pages of google open, each with news on a particular animal. "Before today you never gave me such a speech! Why now is it? "He asked troubled. She wasn't stupid, she knew the dangers, but she had never paid much attention to us. Only now, with this illuminating synthesis, he had begun to feel the fear flow through his veins. "Why? We have been in the valley of death! It was supposed to be a nice excursion, I was excited to see free animals in the wild, think a little! "He started to tell Sam" What went wrong? "Asked Rose concerned. "A female coyote attacked a couple of tourists! It ended with five stitches in the leg of the man who tried to protect his wife! "Sam continued to tell. "Reason?" The friend continued to question him. "They were too close to a den and ..." "See! Animals do not attack if they are not provoked! Then they are different! They are anthropomorphic! So I don't think they'll ever hurt me! "Rose interrupted him. "You don't understand the point!" He yelled "Explain it to me, then! Enlighten me! "She said, annoyed. "If a coyote has done so badly to a person ... what could an animal in the reserve do to you?" happen? There is not only one tiger or one wolf! There are so many! "His friend continued to explain. "There are guards!" She tried to calm him, as well as calm herself! "We also had" a guard "! But it didn't help much! He hunted the coyote, but the damage had already been done! "Sam said alarmed.

Rose sighed. His father would not have been happy with his choice, but then, when was he ever satisfied with her? Never! She was born a female, she had a bond with her "collection", she was not aiming to take her place once he passed away ... the list was still long and the girl thought that adding another thing did not he would have changed that much! "All right! Follow me so you will finally change your mind! "He said putting on his shoes. "Where are we going?" Asked Sam confused. "In the reserve!" Rose pointed out. "Thing? No! I'll wait for you here! "Said the boy who was suddenly bleached. "All right! Say hello to my father then! "The girl said, heading towards her goal. The boy became even more white when he heard in the distance, the voice of his friend's father getting closer and closer to the room where they were. Sam mentally insulted her in all the languages she knew, namely English, French and Spanish, before following it. Nothing was worse than being alone in a room with Derek. He would have preferred everything, even going to the reserve, just to avoid such a torment! Especially because, being his daughter's best friend, whenever he could, his father questioned the poor boy about Rose's life in an attempt to find something to reproach her, since she expected nothing less than perfection on the part of her heir !

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In the early afternoon the animals usually rested, so once they entered the reserve, Rose headed straight for the twins' house. He would ask them to bring them to the felines classified by Sam as "dangerous". The boy in question walked boldly but the friend saw the fear well, if not terror, in his eyes. Who would have ever said it could have come out so traumatized by the hike in a natural park in America? Fortunately, at the sight of the first house, Sam calmed down considerably. Once knocked to open came Lu-Chu. Another stroke of luck as Rose hoped that, with his gentle manner, he could further calm his friend. "Hi dear. How are you? "The peacock asked with a big smile on her face. "Well madam! Are Hong and Yong at home? I have the afternoon off and I'd like to spend it with them if it's okay with her! "Rose said politely. With the animals he followed the etiquette lessons to perfection, given him by his father years ago, much more than when he was with his fellows! "Sure! But you brought a friend! "Lu-Chu said happily and not at all frightened by the presence of a stranger" P-like! I'm Sam! "Replied the boy who was as stiff as a broomstick. "My pleasure! Wait in the living room while I go and call my children! "The peacock said, beckoning the two to come in and sit down. Rose sat down on a big couch with a sudden lack of grace as Sam tucked his knee ligaments into a fatigue that suddenly seemed inelastic. "Let's talk to these birds and then go home, okay?" The boy asked anxiously. "Because you act like a rabbit! You had already seen them long ago, remember? "Rose asked, who had to make a considerable effort not to laugh at his friend's scared blue. "Yes, but through a glass window, with bars! Not a few inches away! "Sam grunted.

"Okay ... hi guys how are you?" Rose asked as soon as he saw the twins coming. His smile faded when they both stopped at the sight of Sam, denying her the embrace / greeting they were used to having. "Who is he?" He asked guarded Yong "Did you find the boyfriend?" Hong asked even more brazenly. Rose became even more red than the red shirt she was wearing! "Not at all! He is my best childhood friend! I decided to let you know it! "The girl explained almost screaming. "He brought fresh meat for the panther!" Hong said with a grin on his face. But poor Sam didn't know any of the young peacock's facial expressions, so he felt faint when he heard that statement! "See if you can stop it!" Screamed Rose "The situation is already delicate, see not to combine disasters as your usual!" to look bad at the twins. The fight of looks ended when Lu-Chu entered the salon, attracted by his unusually high tone of voice. "Guys, are you okay?" He asked worriedly. The quarrels between them were extremely rare, those series, at least! "To perfection!" The three of them answered in chorus, simultaneously turning to the peahen. "And where did Sam end up?" Lu-Chu asked, looking for the boy with his eyes. That question was like a frozen shower for Rose! He turned and saw that his friend was no longer at his side and the front door was next to him and not closed! How the hell did they not hear it? Indeed, how did he get out of it without making the slightest noise? "We have to find him!" The girl said, startled, standing up.

"Why? He'll walk around and then come back! "He tried to defuse Yong. "You don't understand!" Rose began to explain that she was getting more and more nervous every second that passed "He doesn't know this place! You might get lost! " "Not only this!" A voice turned everyone to the stairs that led to the second floor of the house. Kang was at their base "Your friend, none of us knows him!" Others could mistake him for a poacher since he doesn't wear the uniform of the guards! ".

Rose sensed her muscles paralyzed in terror, her heart quickened in a few seconds and began to sweat cold: what had she done ?!

**Nothing ever goes as planned! **

**This scene hit surprised me too! It was a sudden idea of my crazy head to make it happen! **

**I hope readers find it interesting! **

**I also want to thank Phasianidae for the review! I am glad that someone is interested in what I write, encourages me to continue the story! **

**Laura-98M**


	17. Chapter 17

**CONFLICTS **

He absolutely had to improve himself in devising plans, because if he found himself in a real jungle it wouldn't last even a week! Sam ran as fast as he could in the thick vegetation. Near the dwellings the flora was better cared for, whereas where he was, the plants were left to themselves and grew to their liking, forming a kind of barrier through which it was difficult to move, even more to run! He stumbled so many times that he completely lost his sense of direction. He confirmed it when he found himself again in an area of the reserve full of houses. They were all of different sizes and while some were even on trees others were partially built underground. Apparently the animals followed their instincts to the end! Those built on trees had to belong to some kind of rodent or bird, guessing! He decided to circumnavigate the inhabited area and passed through the back of two houses. To his surprise he saw that there were two large vegetable gardens, full of fruit and vegetables. He really would have liked to make a small sortie in their world to see how they lived ... because if you think of an animal that cultivates his garden, then you are a writer, since these things existed only in children's books! A noise made him distract attention from the vegetables and saw three peacocks looking at him frightened. Sam froze! He had to act cautiously, otherwise they would have sounded the alarm and found himself surrounded by predators ... who, most likely, hated those of his race for having imprisoned them and he was completely disarmed! As soon as one of their runs at home Sam did the same, running to another house, though! Tai and his brother Chao left the house just in time to see the intruder enter poor Liang's. They heard the scream of the human one behind it followed by that of the koala. The stranger ran out of a window, shattering the glass as it was closed. He ran into the dense forest, disappearing from view. This was enough. Even though he looked like a frightened rabbit, Tai launched the alarm!

Rose ran at breakneck speed towards the main square, where they would gather everyone to explain the situation. Hong and Yong seemed, as always, unaware of the gravity of the situation, while Kang and Lu-Chu were perhaps more worried than the girl was. They had just arrived in the square that a peacock cry sounded through the woods. "It's from Tai!" Kang said, starting to run again. Unfortunately the two houses were very distant from each other since they had been built in opposite areas. As he ran, Rose saw many others join them. If he hadn't been out of breath he would have explained, along the way, the whole situation but being committed to running faster than the others, he couldn't. He heard a strange noise. It seemed like a wingbeat! Sam just turned his head slightly to see a huge white owl follow him. In spite of the thick branches, that bird was perfectly able to juggle between them and remain glued to it all the time! Heng, the albino owl, had had a stroke of luck choosing the secondary road to reach Tai's home. It was the longest, true ... in fact he was still wondering why he had chosen, but if he had taken the other he would never have come across the intruder! He started bubbling to inform as many friends as possible about his position and the fact that he was chasing the intruder. If Heng believed he had the situation under control he had to change his mind when he saw the stranger enter Shen's house. The owl began to peek through a window and luckily the house seemed to be deserted. The human ran into the kitchen and Heng could only imagine why he was hungry "But how can he think of eating at a time like this!" The owl asked himself mentally. "So this project of yours should give us the opportunity to fight back adequately against human weapons?" Shu asked as he looked at the plans on the peacock's paper. "Exact! Once we have escaped we will hide in this wood! "Shen began to explain pointing to a green dot on a large map of humans. "At the foot of this mountain is full of tunnels and caverns, Rose told me, telling me about a trip he made some years ago. From there we could build a boat and these defense weapons to finally be able to leave these cursed lands! "The peacock ended the explanation by indicating his plans noted on the map.

"The second part of the plan is not bad!" The wolf said enthusiastically "Too bad the first part is missing!" Mei and Syaoran said in chorus. "It's still incomplete because it's the most delicate part!" Shen complained. Nothing, no matter how hard he tried, he would never have been able to bear anyone who criticized his work. A sound of broken shards attracted the attention of all four. They were in the secret laboratory, but the echo that characterized that secret room allowed them to hear, even if little, what was happening on the surface. "If it is Xing again I swear I will demand from you what you just broke!" Shen said as she headed for the stairs. Once I got behind a big wardrobe in the Mei living room I checked from a peephole that there was no one around and they left. Although all the animals knew of the existence of such a laboratory it was better to keep its location secret, especially in Yong and Hong, to avoid accidents with the dangerous materials that were inside it. Syaoran ran into the kitchen to surprise the one who had dared to break some of his friend's services but had just enough time to put his nose over the door of the room that a porcelain plate shattered on his head. The other three remained still, staring at the poor wolf who fell unconscious to the ground. Shu, enraged by such an affront and not by the fact that someone had harmed her friend, decided to go ahead first. He entered running into the kitchen and started a real fight with the stranger. They rolled out of the back door of the kitchen. The stranger "wore" the curtains as a garment to hide his identity. Mei heard a light knock and started looking around when she suddenly realized that she wasn't coming from the door! He ended up seeing Heng behind a window. Shu was wounded in the arm by the large knife that the stranger brandished, but did not give up moving away from him to have a moment of reflection on the next move. The sound of the window opening distracted Shen from the struggle and he was surprised to see Heng entering the window casually.

"Stand back!" The intruder's scream again drew general attention to him. The boy had taken off the beautiful curtains in which he apparently got caught, since if he had only partially removed them and the rest were entangled in his clothes. "He doesn't look like a poacher!" Mei remarked. "He's just a scared puppy!" Shu said, wounded in pride for not being able to knock him down yet. "How did he get in?" Heng asked. That moment of stalemate was interrupted by Syaoran who once recovered jumped at the boy hitting him with his back and managing to knock him down. "Let me go!" The boy squirmed like a fury and threw numerous curses at the canid who had managed to stop him. "I think many will appreciate this loot!" The wolf said he was satisfied that he had redeemed himself compared to the initial fool. "Booty?" Shen asked puzzled "You won't expect us to deliver it to humans!" Shu said as he licked his wound "If we hurt humans we would get into trouble!" they had in mind. "They don't know he's here! He could have hurt or even killed someone! Do you want to let him go unpunished? "The furious wolf asked the peacock. Shen stared at the human. He was just a boy. Probably he was lost ... but to think of it the wall that delimited the reserve was well guarded, so it was almost impossible that "by chance" he had managed to enter! They were his goal! For what he didn't know yet, but Shu was right: he had to pay! "Too fast!" A scream preceded the simultaneous crash of Genji, Dishi, Cong and Cheung that after having smashed the door slamming into each other ended up crashing against the table legs. "Shen!" Kang rushed in with his wife and those present were surprised to see that almost everyone had gathered outside the peacock's home. "What is it?" Asked the respondent. "Sam!" Rose threw herself at the intruder and hugged him happily "Fortunately, you're okay!" "Do you know him?" Churches Mei confused "Of course you are! He is my best friend! Sorry, but we split up. I hope it didn't scare you! "She replied. "No, don't worry! He just attacked us! "Syaoran replied, growling to show his disappointment.

The girl remained frozen in place and only after a few minutes turned to her friend. "What did you do?" He asked incredulously. She was so shocked she wasn't even angry. "The guards!" A scream made everyone run in different directions and although they were all in his house, Shen also thought well of a change of scenery. "We received the order to take you back to the palace immediately!" One of the guards said and the boys obeyed without a word. "Did you bring this human in?" Guo asked "He wanted to introduce us, but he got scared and left the house getting lost!" Kang replied "This doesn't justify what he did!" Syaoran protested.

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Rose and Sam had not spoken since they had returned. She felt guilty for scaring him that way and he for having betrayed the trust she had shown him by bringing him inside the reserve. They sat at either end of a big sofa and everything seemed extremely quiet. Noises broke the silence, footsteps that preceded the entrance of Derek and the boy's father. Sam was grabbed by the parent's arm and literally dragged out of the room, leaving father and daughter alone. "What have I ever done to receive a misfortune instead of a child?" Whispered Derek full of hatred. Rose could clearly see that he was shaking with rage and felt himself freeze. He didn't appreciate it, true, but he had never told her such cruel phrases. "I'm sorry!" He whispered as the first tears began to wet her cheeks. "I'm sorry? I'M SORRY?! IS THIS THAT YOU SAY AFTER YOU HAVE MADE ALMOST A KILL OF A BOY PUT IN DANGER THIS FOR WHICH I WORK FROM ALL LIFE !? "the father screamed in anger. "Enlighten me with your wisdom!" Derek continued as his eyes flashed toward his wisely bowed daughter "What punishment should I inflict on you for an unconscious and childlike action like this?" His father asked. Rose didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. The relationship with him had never mattered so much, no ... what he wanted was to be able to be forgiven by his friends! Kang was extremely fond of everyone and knew he had hurt himself by deciding to ignore his conscience and acting so irresponsibly! The rules existed for a reason! It was not allowed to bring strangers into the animal safety reserve, not to make sure everyone paid for the ticket! Too bad that Rose had come to this realization too late! "Tomorrow you will leave!" Her father pulled her out of her thoughts with shocking news. "What?" He asked in horror "You will go to New York. There is an excellent private school where you will learn English perfectly so you can work on it in the future! "Derek said. "Father! And how will you do with ... "" It's none of your business! "The parent shouted interrupting her. "I ... I can understand them!" She tried again. "I did very well without you before I came into the world and besides I don't need a brat at all." The father said angrily . "I'm the go-between! Are so many! If they decided to rebel, the animalists could tear you to pieces! "The girl insisted. Courage was born of despair. He couldn't stay without his real family! Not yet at least! Perhaps once she was old enough she could have gone to visit the world, but now she felt the need to be with her peacock brothers! Derek seemed to think about it. His daughter was a disaster in some ways, but brilliant for others! He had inherited something from him, after all! He sighed in irritation "All right! But it's the last chance I give you! At the next mistake you end up living in the United States! "He said before leaving the room still angry with his daughter. Just to come back through the door to say one last thing "The wolf does not want to be captured, so it will be up to you to make sure the wound does not cause problems!" Rose was stunned. It was the first time that his father had no control over the situation "Why don't you put it down?" He asked curiously "After what happened it is better if, apart from you, no one else enters the reserve. I will leave the guards on the wall, but for now the patrol rounds are suspended for our safety. Also try to calm the other animals that seem to have gone crazy! "Derek said before slamming the door in her face.

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Rose went into her room and saw Shen glaring at her. "Oh cristo saint!" He screamed after making a jump "How the hell did you get in?" He asked furiously that it seemed like he was having a good time. "It was Fa who got me through," Shen explained, pointing to something behind him. "What happened?" In addition to making her lose many years of life in a second Fa, she made her scream. "You made me take a shot! That's what happened! "The girl protested putting her hand on her chest and catching her breath. "Really?" The barn owl asked with an amused look. "I'll explain it to you tomorrow!" Rose replied as she returned the attention to the peacock. "It was my fault!" Said the distraught girl "At least on this we agree!" Said the peacock "If you want I will explain what happened!" She asked turned to the barn owl who lived between the outside and the castle and for this reason, perhaps, he was still unaware of the latest events. "No need, I already know everything!" The owl confessed. She looked at him in surprise. "Genji, Dishi, Cong and Cheung came into the living room through the ventilation ducts informing me that they were looking for Shen. I asked the reason and they immediately told me what had happened! "The barn owl explained. "Why did you come here?" Rose asked the peacock, "I would like to make a deal with you," he explained. "Why with me?" She asked. "Because you're the one who manages to understand us and above all ... so you can tell it to your father ! "Shen said. "He is not good and understanding! I doubt he will listen to you! "The girl said, expressing her thoughts" There is a lot of discontent! Kang says it will pass but I know it's not like that! "Shen said" Never before has one of the reserve humans attacked and this scared many! We no longer want the guards inside the walls! They already keep us locked up, we don't need to intimidate them further ". "Quiet, my father has suspended the patrols to prevent any of us being hurt. And then, if we really have to be honest, the guards very often hurt the animals in the reserve ... as soon as they have the chance at least. They are monsters, but since they do it when my father and I are not here, we have never been able to prevent it ... even though I don't think my father cares so much ... "Rose said reflecting on it. "Hurting and attacking are two different things!" Shen said. "Oh yes?" The confused girl asked "Yes, the guards know very well that they shouldn't kill us, while he, even as your friend, risked hurting Shu and Syaoran to death. There would also be poachers, but those are your enemies too, so don't count! From what they told me, there were no assaults on your part in the reserve. It was the only place deemed "safe" and now thanks to your friend no one is so convinced "he finished explaining the peacock. "All right! I'll talk to my father and I'll let you know, "said the distraught girl from what had happened, aware that it was her fault. Shen glared at her and started to leave "Wait!" He stopped her "Am I your prisoner, maybe?" Shen asked angrily. "Not at all! But I want to repay you! Whatever you wish, ask for it and I'll give it to you! "She said. "For the moment nothing comes to mind, but I'll let you know!" The peacock replied without showing much enthusiasm. "Do take her back ..." "I know the way!" Shen said before cautiously opening the door of Rose's room and leaving as soon as he saw that it was deserted outside. The girl sighed. Things had fallen hopelessly ... maybe Kang and the other peacocks would have forgiven her, but the others ... "Could you do me a favor?" Rose asked taking paper and pen "Do I do the postman?" Asked Fa understanding the fly. "Yes!" The girl confirmed as she began to write a letter probably addressed to Kang. But the owl noticed the sad look of her friend and decided not to ignore it. "Everything okay?" He asked in a warm tone "Yes!" She lied. "I don't believe you!" He didn't let go of Fa. "I have to make you forgive me for what happened!" "But ... wasn't your boyfriend hurling himself and attacking Shu, Shen, Mei, Syaoran and Heng?" The barn owl asked in confusion. "First: Sam is not my boyfriend! Second: he wouldn't have found himself in that situation if it hadn't been for me! I forced him to enter the reserve, if you hadn't done it now you wouldn't have created this mess! "Rose explained through clenched teeth. "It's true! But he was the one who reacted so violently! Although in self-defense, I'm sure he could have taken a stick and not a dangerous weapon like a knife! "Sa said Fa before taking the letter and flying out the window.

The situation had reversed. If before she was one step away from being finally accepted, now Rose found herself in an abyss! The cats had seemed extremely close to each other, indeed, all the animals in the reserve were! For this he admired them, despite the differences of the species to which they belonged were very close together, often ignoring that some had feathers and other fur!

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The situation had completely gotten out of hand! Kang and Tai looked worried! All the animals were furious! Even those who had begun to tolerate or even trust Rose now saw it as a threat! Even their children seemed to agree, unable to see beyond the fog of hatred that had imprisoned everyone! "Do we have to wait for the girl to let a poacher enter the front door before doing something?" Xu yelled furiously. "If we rebel, humans could respond with violence!" Lang Min tried to calm him, but he could not hide his fear. Not for their own or the safety of others, but for Shen who had not yet returned. It was hours that he had entered the building and no news had been leaked from Fa about where he was or what he was doing. He had shown himself to be a dear friend and the idea of losing him was very painful! He was sympathetic, although with a hard and often patient-lacking nature there had always been for her and Xing. He wanted to tell him how much he cared for him and thank him for all this because he was a fool not to do it sooner! Stop! Did she care about him? His concern was so great that a spontaneous question arose: did he love her? When had the feeling of friendship with him changed? He did it without her noticing! Yet, after a first moment of loss after such a self-disclosure, Lang Min couldn't help but smile. She loved Shen! Now he had to hope that his feelings were reciprocated because in the reserve he was full of peacocks among which the peacock could have chosen! Meanwhile the animals kept screaming at each other. Who was angry with the humans, who claimed that it was an accident (which were very few) and who tried to quell the quarrels between the two groups. A flap of wings preceded the arrival of Fa and the silence fell as soon as it was seen by all present. "I have a letter for ..." the poor owl could not finish the sentence that Lang Min asked him "How is Shen?". "Is fine! He should be here soon! "He said Fa feeling euphoric infected by the cries of joy that rose from many. "You were saying that you have a letter!" Hua said, speaking so loudly that he overwhelmed the confusion of the moment.

"Yes!" The owl confirmed, handing the Kang paper. The peacock read those few lines and smiled sadly. "It's from Rose. He humbly apologizes for what happened! He claims it is his fault that she brought his friend into the reserve! "The peacock said to everyone present. "Then it's not stupid!" Guo said to Kuen. "This changes nothing! What's done is done! "Xu protested. "I forgave her, but if her friend gets to see her around again, they'll hurry up!" Syaoran said, still wounded in pride for having been knocked out so easily. "Maybe we should give her a second chance!" Genji said. "I would say yes!" "Already! After all, it's just a girl! Everyone can make mistakes! "Ning said. "I do not know! Shen and the others risked big! "Qi complained the albino crocodile. "The next time someone makes a mistake, he could lose his life!" Xu protested. "I got an idea!" Tai said to all those present "We will set up a court to vote on what to do with the girl: forgive her or not?" He said surprising many. "But if he wins who he thinks he is guilty, we could not punish the human for what he did!" Jie pointed out the melanistic jaguar. "Be assured they will pay for it!" Shen said, emerging from a large bush "Shen!" Mei and Lang Min said contentedly that he was fine. For his part, it was a bit of a gamble to enter the castle! "When we leave we will not leave them unpunished!" The peacock firmly stated. "We could never punish them all! Whatever the final verdict! "Xu protested. "It's true! But we will put an end to the conflicts that have arisen because of this affair! There will be a vote, everyone will present their ideas and the majority that wins will decide the fate of our relationship with Rose: friend or foe! "Kang concluded. This was the best solution. In this way the animals would have remained united instead of dividing on opposite fronts! And everyone could have expressed their thoughts by tasting, at least, freedom of speech!

**Here is the new chapter! I thought, for a relationship based on trust, something really significant had to happen! It takes time to trust and road accidents are a classic even if, on the other hand, such a reaction by a boy might be unexpected. **

**It was a last minute idea and I hope it is appreciated.**

**Any comments or criticisms will be welcomed as I would like to be able to write this story to the best of my ability. **

**See you soon,**

**X-98**


	18. Chapter 18

**FORGIVE **

That castle was definitely immense. But the good thing about this was that being so large, humans could not watch over him well. It had not been difficult for Shen to pass through a ground floor window kindly opened by Dishi. It was fortunate that humans, not believing them capable of forcing a window, did not guard a small part of the castle that overlooked the reserve. On the upper floors there were the balconies used by the "guests" to admire Derek's collection, while the lower floors were mostly rooms full of old stuff. The peacock was used to having everything perfectly under control and for this he had decided to check in person. Wen and Liang had been very diligent in their work of mapping the dungeons and sewers but Shen had to see for himself to make sure he knew every part of his escape plan well. Putting humans against each other would have been tempting, yet in the end Kang and Tai had decided not to draw too much attention by forcing the young peacock to rely on dungeons to escape unseen. Of course, Derek would have searched for them, and a fight would have been inevitable, but at least they would have fought in their territory, hidden in the middle of the bush and not within the walls controlled by humans! "The cleanest sewers I've ever seen!" Cong said as they walked on the marble at the edge of a bed of a small stream full of unhealthy water ... and more. "Seriously, isn't it?" Genji asked, who seemed to be struggling to endure the nauseating smell. Shen was in the same condition as the weasel since he had never found himself in such a dirty place. After making a complete tour of the perimeter they went out, happy to leave that stink behind. Once they closed the padlock that blocked one of the numerous entrances to the sewers, they headed towards the dungeons. Forcing the doors was not a problem, but it was better that the humans were not aware of such displacements, so they were concerned about leaving everything as they found it, closing every door they could open. "As said by Wen and Liang, there were no escape routes there!" Cheung said, looking at Shen, who had insisted on checking himself.

"We had to be sure!" The peacock replied without bothering to look at him. Jian, Long, Lok, Ju, Qiang and Wu joined them shortly after "We checked the dungeons and as indicated by Liang, there is a trapdoor that overlooks the garden in the back of the building. "No walls once you go out, you guards them," Lok said, satisfied with such a discovery. "Did you check well?" He asked, puzzled "Yes, once we opened the passage we could leave without any problems!" Qiang said, expressing his surprise. "The guards watch the walls much more carefully. They have no reason to check a place where we could in theory never get there! "Shen explained. Once the exit from which he escaped was checked, the group decided it was time to return to the reserve. While Dishi would have checked that Shen's passage was safe, the others would have come out of the usual passage, or the air ducts that faced the reserve, not far from the door that connected the building to it. Without guards to guard them and well hidden from the bush that grew wild around them, perfect to go unnoticed. But shortly before he set off for the room from which he would leave, Shen sensed something. It was not a noise that put him in alarm, but a sensation. He took a quick look and saw that Dishi had already entered the room from which they would return to the reserve. He decided to ignore the ferret and went in the opposite direction from the established one. Fortunately, in the corridor, there were numerous furniture behind which to hide from the few guards he met. Only while facing Gang had he perceived that feeling of alert mixed with terror, but after realizing he was superior to the feline in combat, it was gone. Now it was different! There was something else! But he didn't understand what! He continued to walk seemingly in circles, but apparently towards a precise direction because, in a short time he found himself in a different area of the castle, in front of a door he had never seen.

There were numerous padlocks that sealed it and even though they were not a problem, he noticed that it was different from the others. This entrance was reinforced by bars fixed on the wood to give it more resistance and the entire perimeter was made of iron. Once the padlocks were unlocked, the peacock slid a heavy pin placed as the main block and pushed hard to open the heavy door. The room was dark, but thanks to the dim light coming from outside he spotted a candle and the fireplace with some pieces of wood still smoking. He put the candle close to them and thanks to some remnants of fire present in what remained of the wood, the candle lit up. Damn curiosity and damn him! It would have been much better to ignore his feelings and go straight to the reserve! Shen couldn't believe what he was seeing!

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Great! Fantastic! Exciting! Perfect! Awesome! Extraordinary! Great! Excellent! Exemplary! Unparalleled! All these adjectives could not be attributed to the current situation! ... apart from the last one! Rose had skipped school pretending to be sick, even though she was sure her father knew very well that it was all over! Luckily he had decided to go along with her and let her stay at home. Perhaps he could not take more of the summons of the headmaster because of his unruly behavior and for this he had decided to favor his whims too! He absolutely had to think of something! Thanks to his bravado, now Kang was in trouble too! He had talked to his father about what Shen had told her, without mentioning the peacock to avoid getting him into trouble and he reluctantly agreed. The important thing was the containment, that is that no animal came out outside the perimeter established by the high walls, and being impossible, the collector had decided to loosen the grip that he had been exercising for years on animals. He wanted to avoid any problems because even a minimal accident would have had a global resonance risking to compromise the work of a lifetime. It would have been enough to calm the animals and then everything would come back as before. Rose didn't think like him. According to her, something else must have happened to push the animals to train in defense techniques. Especially since Hong and Yong had never been so interested in fighting and suddenly became their main concern! He had made a mistake and wanted to avoid future, if possible! This is why she was sure she needed to understand the situation thoroughly! Without losing sight of the primary goal: an effective way to be forgiven and regain trust ... easy to say, difficult to do!

The sound of the door opening made her whirl around. His father was becoming nagging to say the least! Although for years he had tried to get his attention, at the time he could say with certainty that he no longer wanted her as he once did. He was stunned when he saw that it wasn't him! "If you don't come out of my room I'll kick you in the ass!" He screamed more frightened than the unexpected visit that was angry with his friend. "I need to talk to you!" He said looking at her with a stern look. This was beautiful! Was he offended? Rose strode out of the room but as he continued to follow her he stopped in the living room, away from indiscreet ears, and slapped his friend. "I feel much better now! But I have to apologize for putting you in this situation! "The girl said that she felt all of a sudden the remorse getting in her heart. "I attack the animals in your father's collection and you apologize?" Sam asked, laughing nervously "Why did you freak out?" She asked ignoring the question. "I was terrified! Then when I saw a wolf I tried to defend myself, but the second canid was not able to knock him out and we started to fight ... in the confusion I wounded the she-wolf! Only now I realize that I have made things worse with my own hands! I behaved like an idiot, forgive me! "Sam said, barely holding back his tears. "At least on this we agree, moron!" Said Rose, unable to be angry with her best friend that much. He had never been good at holding back emotions and it happened sometimes that he cried like he was still five years old. Fortunately not in front of adults! No, he did it only with her. At least he hoped so, otherwise what a figure of ... "I decided to try again!" That statement made Rose stop being insulted against her friend and didn't know how to respond. "I don't know if it's a good idea!" The puzzled girl admitted staring at her feet. The animals were very agitated this was certain from the last Fa report. Perhaps it was better to wait for the waters to calm down at least a little!

"Rose!" The barn owl made her turn towards a high lamp on which he had perched "Yes?" She asked, completely ignoring Sam's last statement. "The bugs are in the ducts!" Fa said. "How long have the bedbugs wandered through the pipes?" Rose asked, tired of so much movement "A little!" The replied Fa resigned to the idea of having to guard for any movement . Naming insects when they talked about something completely different had become their way of understanding each other, confusing any intruders they were listening to. The stranger too, after hearing such a thing, would simply have asked "Cimici in the condotti?". But the girl knew perfectly well that Fa was referring to squirrels and weasels who were perfectly able to pass through those tubes! "Good! Sam I have to ... "the words died in her mouth when she saw that his friend had disappeared again. This gift of his had been used to escape the scoldings of Derek or other unpleasant situations, but now it was proving to be a problem! "Did you see where he went?" The girl asked worriedly, taking a look in the corridors. "Actually, I didn't really see it!" Rose's eyes widened in disbelief. What the hell did that mean? "He wasn't with you when I reached you!" The owl explained. "Now I kill him!" The girl said, heading hurriedly to her rooms.

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For the first time in his life Shen was afraid. At other times he had been worried, but since he had grown up he had never felt such a strong emotion! In that room it was full of stuffed animals! There were all sorts of them, but most were puppies or chicks! He knew well that long ago many "sons of the reserve" had been taken by Derek and only after the animals realized that they did not make a good end, they decided not to procreate any further. But this was a horror! ... maybe it was the end they would have done? Why were there also adult animals? Yet some seemed not to belong to his world! Too many questions! Too many doubts! He had to see clearly if he really wanted to implement an escape plan! Because if Derek started killing them, they had little time. If instead he had stopped implementing this brutal practice, then there was still the hope of preparing a good plan and running off together! The first room in which he had entered was connected to another, much larger, where the corpses were "prepared" with great probability! Suddenly the peacock had a great desire to destroy! Was there no particular reason ... anger, fear, revenge or repulsion? Did not know! He made a quick tour of the second room and after identifying some materials that would have easily caught fire, he lit them one by one. Finished there, he moved to the first room and did the same. Just before the fire spread throughout the room, he ran out and carefully closed the door. He started running towards the exit. He could hear the high-pitched sounds that reverberated throughout the castle and the voices of the guards shouting information at one another were such confusion. During this hasty escape, as soon as he turned a corner, the peacock slammed into something, or rather someone. Luckily it was not a guard, a disaster since it was Rose's friend! The peacock stood up quickly, hissing at the boy. "Wow! Quiet! I don't want to hurt you ... even if from our first meeting you could think of it in a diff way ... but how did you get in? " Shen glared at him. He was deluded if he thought he would answer! That human was dangerous! On the one hand, he was relieved that no one had been seriously injured, but on the other he was the same cautious because Rose's "friend" could manipulate her to be able to enter the reserve again. But Shen did not yet know if the attack had been intentional, or the human simply panicked.

Apart from him, that boy had found himself in front of predators and even Shen would have been nervous in a situation like that! He had to understand the situation well to assess whether to consider him friend or foe! Moreover, this conflict had brought to light a fact: perhaps they were not yet ready to flee. If four had failed to stop a young human, what hopes did they have with the numerous guards who guarded the boundaries of the reserve? "First of all, I apologize for having attacked you! It was absolutely not my intention, but I was terrified and acted without thinking! Second, I don't understand a word of what you say! It's Rose who has the magic ear! And third but not least, I have no desire to attack you ... despite what I did a while ago! "Sam said. Shen decided to blow against him showing how much distrust he had against him! Especially because he could not do anything else since, from what he understood, the human could not understand him! It occurred to him that he absolutely had to ask Rose for explanations because it seemed new to him! Perhaps she and Derek were the only ones to understand them since he had seen with his own eyes the girl's father while he quietly threatened his parents! And why just the two of them? Perhaps the time had come to tell her the truth! ... without letting that worm witness their conversation, of course! First he had to earn their trust and perhaps later he could even think of tolerating his presence! "Sam!" Rose's voice turned the boy around and Shen took the opportunity to escape. "Are you crazy ?!" Asked her friend stunned, unable not to reserve a surprised look at the peacock disappearing into another corridor. "I want to repair the wrongs I've done! How can I be crazy? "Sam asked exasperatedly. "Didn't you think that maybe, and I say maybe, do animals now see you as a danger? You risked a big one! "The girl said as she waved like crazy.

The two boys hurried towards the girl's rooms, to prevent anyone from hearing them discuss and report everything to Derek. On the way Rose heard a familiar comment. "Attacked by a peacock ...! It's not a phrase you hear often! Indeed, never! "Sam said making her wince" I said the same thing to my father some time ago, think a little! " Once he closed the door of his room he grabbed her by the shoulders and stared her in the eyes "Listen ..." the boy began to say becoming extremely serious "What matters to me is to have your forgiveness! After ... if the animals hate me or not it is superfluous! "Sam said sincerely. Rose smiled "Of course I forgive you! In the end it was my fault if you got lost in the reserve! "He admitted warmly embracing his dear friend. "No, I shouldn't have left it! But if you thought about it, if you hadn't brought me in, I would never have left ... Can I help you with something? "Sam asked, suddenly feeling happy" Yes! To prepare lunch! "Rose replied" And the cooks? "Asked Churches disappointed that he was expecting a delicious meal. "I want to eat light!" Replied her friend "What am I? Come on, I'm very hungry! "He complained. The boys ran out laughing and when the sounds of their laughter faded the spies came forward. Genji, Cong, Dishi and Cheung opened a grate of the conduit that led to the room and went through the closet to the ground. "It doesn't seem dangerous to me!" Cong observed. "Even though it was an accident, I don't trust him!" Cheung said, looking through the keyhole to make sure they were far enough away not to hear them. "Well, would you like to be the first to bring fresh news to the outside?" Genji asked as he looked around with curiosity. "All right! But promise me to wait for me to make some disaster! "The ferret protested. "Why? You would be exempt from any guilt! "Cong pointed out to him. "True! But I'd miss the fun! "Dishi chuckled. "Never have I heard wiser words!" Cheung admitted before he burst out laughing too. "That boy doesn't seem to want to kill us!" Genji said as he looked at various objects resting on Rose's desk.

"Let's hope so, otherwise I take my leg off and bite that worm!" Dishi confessed before crouching on the bed, hidden among the blankets, ready to intervene for any eventuality. Under Kang's request, they had decided to monitor the young human and stop her in case she tried to get her friend into the reserve again. And from Shen they had to thoroughly check the movements of the guards to check that everything was going well for the future escape and to allow the first phase of the plan to take shape!

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"I still don't get convinced!" Xu said as he sat under a tree. Hua, perched on a branch contested his statement "If we rebel now we risk endangering the ghosts that are in there ... and they are also unarmed!" He tried to reason with him. "Then let's get them out!" The big cat screamed patiently. "You say it as if it were simple! Their current job is fundamental to the escape plan! And anyway, I don't think that boy can hurt them, they are too awake! "She said, too, convinced that it was not the time to try to escape. "I continue to believe that it was an accident!" Lang Min admitted referring to Sam's episode. "Guys, enough with this speech, please!" Ning said exasperatedly that for a week he had to put up with the screams of young people trying to impose their ideas. The court, indeed, the vote had been a blessing because it was decided to forgive the girl and despite the strong hatred of many, Rose did not seem to have been very uncomfortable when he reappeared three days after those unfortunate events! "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never experienced anything new," the Master said wisely. Xu calmed down rather quickly. That old prickly anteater was like a powerful sedative, above all because with his wise sentences he allowed everyone to see beyond the bursting fury, born of anger that did nothing but poison the souls. "Maybe a little training will help us calm down!" He proposed that Jie seemed to be hoping with all of herself. She too had voted against the second possibility and now she found herself in difficulty, but not wanting to be disrespectful, she had nevertheless decided to respect the choice of the majority. Many of those present followed the advice and headed for the training area. Even Mei had not stopped, but the growing concern caused by the stressful situation did not allow her to concentrate properly and rather than improve seemed to get worse at a glance! After yet another failed kick, he was called by the old Master. "Words are for everyone, confidence is for few. Tell me what troubles you and share this weight so you will find the calm that you lack! "The anteater said warmly. "I'm worried! If humans fear us so much it will mean that we will never really be free! They will hunt us forever! "The feline declared sadly.

"Be the change you want to see in the world," said the Master before heading to two students who needed a correction, leaving poor Mei more confused than before. Such as? Had he understood correctly? Did they have to trust humans?

**Here I am! Sorry for my absence but I have not been idle! **

**I wish everyone a happy new year and inform you that I will resume the publication of the new chapters that I have written in the meantime! **

**Thanks to Phasianidae, BookDreamCatcher and Be Prepared for the reviews and support. **

**I repeat that any comments and advice are welcome to allow me to continue this story.**

**See you soon, **

**X-98**


	19. Chapter 19

**REVELATIONS**

Three weeks had passed since that unfortunate day, but Shen continued to avoid Rose. He did not want his possible outburst of anger to have harmful consequences and since anger, because of what he called "accident", had not yet passed, was kept at a safe distance from the human. If things went wrong inside the reserve, you could not say otherwise in the castle. Ghosts continued to collect and bring information about what they discovered day by day, especially about the terrible inventions of humans. Some to facilitate daily actions, while others much more obscure and dangerous! One object in particular frightened Cong and the others. He made an absurd noise, warning anyone of his presence even at a safe distance, a fortune for them! It was used to remove the dust, since, apparently, doing it manually would have required too much energy and Cheung had repeatedly asked himself what fate would have touched him if by chance he too had been caught in what they called "the sack of death"! It only served to contain the dust, but they were sure that the noise it made hid some terrible secret! But they would have preferred to be sucked into that strange machine rather than appear sociable towards the boy. He was Rose's best friend, but even that didn't seem to benefit him. He was still the one who attacked Shu and Syaoran! The mustelids were always very aggressive with poor Sam, or disappeared as soon as they heard him arrive, not allowing the boy to try to establish a rag!

At the time Cong and Cheung were busy stuffing themselves with strawberries, while Genji finished cleaning his fish to say the least delicious. Rose was extremely kind, despite their attitude towards Sam and they tried to be so with her to return the courtesy. Meanwhile Dishi was in crisis with an apple, which did nothing but roll, making his intention to eat it difficult. Fa had been missing for a few days and Rose had justified his absence by replying that he had allowed him to spend some time in the reserve. Although they knew very well that she was lying, under Shen's advice, they had decided to go along with her. Without really knowing why!

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Life had begun to flow smoothly. Indeed it had improved without the guards who passed between the houses every hour, frightening almost all the inhabitants and making the most obstinate nervous. Shen knew well that the situation had stalled. It had never happened that a human, who was not a poacher, had managed to enter and this had alarmed many. Anger and discontent had been quelled, but for now they were like boiling lava boiling under the surface: nothing was enough to explode! Shen knew well that it would take time to come up with a good plan, and much more to convince everyone to participate. But the tactician in him had not remained with his hands. Taking advantage of Rose's kindness, and aided by spies, he had managed to make a map of the building noting numerous security weaknesses. Once discovered, but not considered dangerous, the squirrels and mustelids had been admitted to the castle. Rose had managed to convince her father that she was working on a relationship of mutual trust that would benefit her future business. Clever girl! But she hadn't done everything alone, on the contrary, it could be said that it was Shen who had convinced her! During the only conversation they had during that time ... Dishi and Genji had gone on exploration several times and managed to go unnoticed since all humans were aware of their presence. To attract their attention, after about four days of empty laps, it was a room full of magic mirrors through which humans could see inside the reserve.

Some were positioned on the various entrances, others in the main square and the last ones controlled from outside, almost all the houses! This presented a strong point in favor of humans. Having the opportunity to see what was going on inside the reserve they could have become suspicious seeing them converge towards an exit with a few guards ... and sound the alarm if one of the animals had attacked them! Shen did not believe in magic, on the contrary he was convinced that these strange objects were one of the many and strange inventions of humans!

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One evening Cong noticed something different. Rose was getting ready to leave! "Is your world very big?" Asked Genji, who was beginning to have sympathy for the girl. "Sure! Yours too! "Replied the cheerful human. "Having never been outside these walls, I am unable to say which is the largest, but I am sure that, like us, you have not yet visited it all, am I wrong?" Dishi said while looking at a map hanging on the wall. "Not at all! Today we will go to a new place! The city is called Rome and they say the food is delicious! Plus there will be sales and I will be able to buy a lot of desigual things! "Rose said with dreamy eyes. "It's a store that sells stunning clothes!" The girl explained when she saw her friends raise their ears for a silent question. "I can come in!" An unknown voice made everyone turn towards the door. "Beatrice!" Rose shouted upset "No! I'm not ready! "She said in the least convincing tone in the world. "Come on ..." insisted a voice from behind the door before it was opened "... you know how many times I saw you while you changed ..." a girl with long dark hair and a very pale skin she stared upset at the various animals in the room. "But then it's true that you want to work in a zoo ... your room looks a lot like us!" Beatrice said that suddenly she couldn't take her eyes off the albino squirrel. "I'll explain later! Now can you wait for me outside? "Rose asked, more and more agitated. "You have to ask please!" Her friend complained "Please!" Said the owner of the house, pushing the intruder out badly.

"Who is it?" Genji broke the silence as Rose finished packing her luggage. "A friend from school!" Briefly explained. After making a last appeal of the things he took, he turned to his friends "So, soon guards will come to bring you back to the reserve, unfortunately in my absence you will no longer be able to explore the castle, I'm sorry, I know you are having a lot of fun!" was listing things on the shopping list. "We are sorry for not being able to work on the escape plan ... we enjoy it so much!" Cong thought. "So early?" Cheung asked in surprise. They had been inside the castle for three weeks. They might have seemed many, but they weren't. Returning to the reserve would have represented a sharp setback in the work undertaken on behalf of Shen and their dreams of future freedom. "Yes! Because of my departure, your reintegration has been ... anticipated! "Rose answered before putting on his jacket and taking the last things. "See you soon guys! I'll be back in a week! "He said happy as an Easter before going out. A pinging noise made it clear that humans were serious. He had locked them in! Not that it was a problem ... they knew how to force a lock during, but it was still a bell: they could not go out! Although no one could have hindered them since, since the last checks, Dishi and Genji had ascertained that the guards, in Rose's apartments, never passed by! But the girl had talked about reintegration. "I won't stand still waiting for the guards to come and bring us back! If we really have to come back, I will do it of my own free will, "Dishi said.

"I would suggest leaving a passage open to allow us to enter even without human help. It could help in the future! "Genji said before disappearing into the pipes.

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Through the ventilation ducts the spies had headed towards the exit, except to meet a white peacock who had decided to personally explore the castle. He did not seem to be worried at all about being noticed and this gave one last push to those who were reluctant to browse around without the cover of the human. The desire to leave the castle was not to be as strong as the curiosity towards the human world, not yet dormant, despite their long stay compared to any other animal ... apart from Fa who had become a kind domestic owl! "Wow! He can hear my footsteps! "Cheung said looking at the perfectly polished marble that he trod on. They were all poor peasants, ordinary people who were surprised even in front of a laid table. No wonder they were surprised by the sumptuousness exhibited by Derek just to show how disgustingly rich he was.

They were in a large corridor and Cheung looked with interest at a large staircase that led to a part of the building unknown to them. "How the hell are they going to move in there?" Dishi asked, twisting her nose in front of large armor that seemed to be several years old. "Remember that they don't have natural weapons and probably looking like a portable cage helps them to be safer!" Cong said to whom, instead, they instilled fear. A low growl warned all five. "Can squirrels growl?" Cheung asked with obvious sarcasm. "Not so strong, but they are!" Genji said pointing to a point behind his friends. Four large dogs snarled at those they saw as intruders and easy prey to catch. Dishi avoided investigating whether they were able to speak and started running. Without knowing it, he awakened the hunting instinct of the canids that started running after them. For the mustelids and the squirrels it was easy to climb a chandelier or fold up on the curtains in order to escape those fangs, but this went to the detriment of Shen who now enjoyed the full attention of those guard animals perfectly domesticated and trained by humans. As if things weren't serious already, he realized that he wasn't wearing his metal-clawed gloves. Ever since he started training with the Master he had laid down his arms since the goal of Kung Fu is not to hurt the opponent and a warrior uses only his own body to fight.

For the final clash with humans he would have taken them back, too bad it wasn't that! Only now did he deeply regret his choice, because his claws, even if sharp, could not have done much against the fangs of dogs! And hand-to-hand combat was excluded because it would make him vulnerable to a possible bite! But despite this Shen ran fast and in a short time he lost sight of Genji and the others. Fortunately he had an approximate mental image of the castle and that was why he headed towards the training room, there he would surely find something to make those canids understand who was in charge, making them retreat in their primary intentions to devour it! Once inside he was stunned to note that there was no sharp object that could have been used, but only buildings on which to climb, large bags hanging from the ceiling and other gadgets of which he had no idea what they were! He climbed onto a kind of wooden ladder attached to the wall that was solid enough to hold it up and was relieved to find that the dogs were unable to climb. Now there was another problem, with all the fuss they were doing they would surely have attracted attention, indeed, it was strange that nobody had noticed them yet! He jumped onto another wooden construction and began to move from one to the other with ever greater speed. His idea worked because the dogs, in an attempt to follow him, began to stumble and collide with each other and this gave Shen time to drop a remarkably heavy wooden ladder so that it blocked their way, jump on the ground, run to the exit and quickly close the heavy doors. "What's going on?" The voice of a man made him jump and the peacock, once seen on the stairs, walked to get off the road of the probable guard who was coming towards him. He found himself on a lower floor and after passing a dense branching of corridors he found himself in the kitchens.

He was not surprised to find the rest of us. The spies, despite their stature, ate like pandas, that is, as soon as they could and extraordinary quantities of food compared to their small body. Poking around a bit, they found a dessert sprinkled with peach jam and without compliments they finished it in no time. Shen tasted almost everything and started snooping around as he had the opportunity to taste new and unknown foods. Their interest was not limited only to what the human mind was able to create with some pieces of iron, but it was general. And importantly, Shen was convinced that the more they knew the enemy, the better the chance of defeating him! The peacock found an envelope that seemed to contain something delicious and once opened it ate something very similar to the dragon clouds, but these were definitely more crunchy and salty! After opening six envelopes, the mustelids managed to calm the hunger pangs that had caught them as if they had fasted for groups. Only then did Shen think of a question "But where are the humans?" He asked realizing that no one had witnessed their feast. "Before there were ..." Dishi replied with his mouth full "But the humans shouted HELP, THE MICE! and they disappeared in less than five seconds locking the doors behind them, "Cong continued, who instead had swallowed the bite before speaking. "I would say we can now ..." Genji was interrupted by distant barking that seemed to approach their current position rather quickly. "What a beard!" Complained Cheung who was still eating. Shen wasted no time and jumped to a table on which humans apparently were kneading something and leaving work halfway through once they saw the mustelids. More likely it was Genji and Dishi who made them run away since the similarity a rodent was more evident! The dogs entered the kitchen like fury and as Shen thought there were humans with them! It was impossible that they had managed to open the doors, they did not seem to have a highly developed brain as it was very easy for the peacock to sow them.

Through a secondary exit Shen, Genji, Dishi, Cong and Chueng headed for Rose's rooms. But when everything seemed to be resolved Shen felt something holding him by the tail and fell badly on the ground. One of those dogs had landed him! Even before he could try to free himself, a broom crashed into the animal's face and the peacock saw him run away while yelping as if he had been mortally wounded. At the other end of the broom was the last person Shen thought he saw: Sam! "What the hell are you doing? You can rest once you are back in the reserve! Move! "The boy said excitedly, looking around as the dogs did nothing but approach and increase. Shen didn't have it repeated and ran again. He avoided or dropped numerous guards drawn by all the hustle and bustle and arrived unharmed in Rose's rooms. From there he knew how to move. As expected, the other four were already there waiting for him since they didn't have to worry about the dogs! "Did they get you?" Cong asked with a strange curiosity "Just stuck! Rose's friend paid off the debt by freeing me from the grip of one of them! "Shen explained that he was panting heavily because of the unbridled race he had just made. "Won!" Dishi said "Lost!" Genji joined him. The peacock rolled his eyes: they had bet! Even though he often took part in bets of this kind, he hated when someone made them about him!

Maybe because, in general, he didn't like to be the center of attention! Hurried footsteps forced everyone to hide. Dishi and the others managed to get into some large objects while Shen ducked behind the bed from the front door. Fortunately it was only Sam. After what happened, they were less likely to attack them ... at least, compared to the guards, they completely reset themselves! "But shouldn't you have been in the reserve? Especially you! "Asked the confused boy, pointing to the peacock. Dishi shrugged while Cong scratched his head. They were signs to try to make Sam understand that they knew less about him. With little results since he continued to stare at them in a bewildered way. "Wait, I know how to do it!" The boy finally said. Shen raised the crest curiously when he saw him take pen and paper. How had he not thought of it before! There was a way to communicate ... he immediately started thinking about it when he saw that the human was writing in a language incomprehensible to them. "Guys, I can't read these signs!" Cheung protested. "Evidently humans speak like us but write in another way! Isn't that strange? "Genji asked amused. Dishi snatched the pen from the boy's hand and started writing in Chinese characters "We were locked in Rose's rooms! Someone opened the door allowing us to go out and being hungry we headed towards the room from which the smell of food came. " Making up lies was easier than he thought. The calligraphies differed completely from each other and Shen was sure that not even Sam could understand an accident! "I can find someone who can translate! Wait! "The boy said running out ... but he didn't have time to open the door that it slammed in his face. Rose peeked from behind "What are you doing here?" She asked shocked "And what are they still doing here!" She asked even more surprise.

"The real question is, what are you doing here?" Sam asked confused. Only four days had passed since the travel week for her and her friends! "My father asked me to come back! But I still don't know why! The holiday has been ruined and I swear that if I find out it's your fault I'll make you pay! "Rose yelled at her friend" Happy to see you too! "Sam replied before running away from his friend's clutches. Once she was out the girl turned to the animals "I know why my father called me back!" He confessed looking at them with a mixture of suspicion and ... fear? Shen knew for certain that that speech was going to take a bad turn! "Why did you start spying on us? Why did you make an accurate map of the castle? "The girl asked more and more worried. "How do you know these things?" Cong asked suddenly wary. "My father watches you and can see everything that happens in this room and in the reserve! He saw you poking around ... it's not simple curiosity, is he? "Rose seemed to want to deny that obvious truth but Shen did not understand why! Was she disappointed that they wanted to escape? Didn't he understand that what they wanted was freedom only? Eventually the peacock decided to silence all those doubts and questions that seemed to torment the poor girl "Rose ... we want to leave!".


	20. Chapter 20

**STRATEGIES **

Rose's gaze fully expressed the disappointment she felt. He evidently believed that his dear friends were happy to be locked up in a large cage. Maybe he hadn't understood that although spacious it was still a prison. But if you grow up with something in front of your eyes, you get used to it and often give it a different meaning, even normal! "Rose ..." Dishi tried, but was abruptly interrupted "You used me! All this time ... and also Hong and Yong ... I thought ... "the girl paused, barely holding back a sob. "No! The twins love you ... "Cong intervened knowing how much the two young men were linked to their friend. Only the peacocks and those few who grew up in the reserve were really fond of her and now those who wanted freedom risked breaking that bond! "Just like you ... were the fireworks another excuse to let your guard down? Or did I, stupid, trust you and give you the tools to create a weapon? ... "the disappointment was replaced by an overwhelming anger" I went against my own father several times just to make you stay at yours comfortable and not in a filthy prison! I had become so attached to you that my fellows started avoiding me! But I didn't care ... because I knew, on the contrary, I was sure you would never have betrayed me! "In the end the girl couldn't resist anymore and burst into tears. "Instead it was all false! My father was right! You used me! ... "the girl looked around in bewilderment as if she didn't know where she was and why. But the doubt lasted only a moment before he used sharp words like blades "You know, maybe your parents did well to abandon you!" Rose yelled at the peacock as she ran out of the room, taking care to slam the door violently behind her.

There! If previously a small part of Shen wanted to regain the girl's trust, now she had been completely destroyed by the last sentence she had said! It wasn't long before they decided to return to the reserve. Fortunately, they didn't meet anyone on the way and Shen was grateful. He was sure he would not be able to restrain himself this time, not after what the girl had had the tough face to tell him! A relief which, however, he could not remove from the peacock's head a question: would Rose tell the truth to her father?

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Fa started flying from house to house screaming "They're back! They're back! "Making the occupants go out in a hurry to meet friends they haven't seen for a long time. Of course, three weeks, or rather almost four, might have seemed very short, but for the animals, used to living together, even a few days seemed endless. Especially if their friends had found themselves in the castle of humans as in this case! Mei ran fast. Long last! Finally he would see "the ghosts" again! Who knows how they were! Had the humans treated him well? Had they discovered important things? Was the plan ready to be implemented? Since Fa had been locked up in the reserve, the news came thanks to the ghosts, but by that damned day almost all the animals had lived with the fear that something terrible could happen to their friends, even if from what the spies said, they seemed to be fine ... Xu, Kuen, Guo, Lei, Jie, Shu, Ji, Syaoran, Qui, Ning, Dewei, Zhong and many others gathered around the mustelids, while Kang and Lu-Chu warmly embraced the white peacock returned unharmed from what many , they considered madness. Glad that in the end he was better than they thought. Going to the enemy's lair alone was something extremely brave, or stupid, depending on your point of view. But the fact that he had returned unharmed made it clear what the peacock was made of and that they were probably in good hands with regards to the escape plan. Shen was impressed, he did not believe that his "parents" could worry so much about him! It was a new thing! When he returned home from some expedition his people were too busy to welcome him and when they saw each other again the maximum of the welcome back was a smile or a pat on the back. This time it was different! Many did not worry or have problems in fully expressing their joy and embraced it, showing how sincere their happiness was and how much they believed in him.

"What is difficult to find but easy to lose, it is worth more than gold but costs less than a penny?" Sheng asked, unable to resist ten minutes without a good riddle. "A friend!" Shen replied that for the first time he wasn't irritated by his brother's riddles. Brother? Was this how he saw Yong, Hong, Sheng, Shuang, Xian, Xing and Chong? The white peacock smiled. It might sound absurd, but the fact that Rose discovered their plans and really risked being caged by Derek, who wouldn't hesitate to throw the key once they knew they were smarter than he thought, had become superfluous. Shen clearly felt that something had gone on in him. It was extremely rare in his hometown and perhaps even pretended not to see it at first! "It hurts more when it's taken, but also when it's not there at all. Sometimes they are the most difficult to express, but the easiest to ignore. I can be given to many or just one! "Shen thought, finding himself in the role of his brother. Yes, it was the love he finally found. At first his light and heat had been annoying because he was not used to it, but once he got used to it he realized that they were very pleasant, he needed it and he wanted it! Shen came out of the trans one thinking about the riddle he formulated. Find yourself in the shoes of your brother! This would have been a perfect idea for when they found themselves outside! Having fun at the idea of the strange situations that would arise in the future due to his diabolical mind, Shen concentrated on greeting the rest of the friends who were warmly welcoming him after his half day of absence.

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"All right! I can say that my resentment towards that human has diminished a little after you told us what he did! "Xu said not at all convinced of his words. They had all met in the large square and arrived in the evening they had set up a large table with numerous dishes to celebrate the return of Dishi, Cong, Cheung and Genji and the success of Shen's expedition. Shen decided to ignore that comment thinking about leaving the debate on such a delicate topic for later as he didn't feel like ruining the joyful atmosphere that had arisen. He headed for Sheng and Xian who were just having a fight to change the subject ... "Brother, I have a proposal for you!" He said deciding to get straight to the point. "Shoot!" Said the respondent, not bothering to hide his curiosity. "Would you like if we trained together?" Asked the peacock starting to present his idea "Of course, why not! But it doesn't seem extraordinary to me ... that is, we have done it before! "Sheng said disappointed. "In fact I'm not talking about any training!" Shen confessed that he had to resort to all his self-control in order not to laugh. He had to admit that he had truly changed! He would never have felt enthusiastic and would have shown so much interest and fun for something so childish! "Could you stop talking for ..." ".. puzzles?" Xian asked interrupting his bitter enemy "I didn't mean that!" Sheng protested. "Would you like it if we trained to play each other's clothes?" Shen asked, quitting a quarrel in the bud.

"How?" Sheng asked, believing he didn't understand correctly. "It's something extraordinary!" Xian admitted even more shocked than his brother. "During the battle it would be helpful to distract humans from the leader of the revolt! If we learned to move in an almost identical way, we could fool them, gaining valuable time to allow others to escape! "Shen explained excitedly. He had always felt so in sight of a fight! There was nothing he could do about it, apparently it was in his nature to fight! "Quite right! They will try to cut off the snake's head, but so they will find themselves undecided about who to hit! "Xian also began to reason with much enthusiasm. "I risk my skin but I like the idea! I'm in, but only on one condition! "Sheng finally decreed. Shen's crest rose and stared at him suspiciously. "We will learn to be identical and to exchange identities also to make it to idiots like him!" Sheng said whispering in Shen's ear, while pointing to his brother. Shen smiled and cursed himself for his childish behavior, but the idea was tempting! "I'm in!" He answered finally. "In what? What the hell are you two up to? "Xian asked terrified at the idea of not having to face one brother, but two!

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The following morning everyone gathered in the square due to a meeting requested by Shen. "What news do you bring?" Asked Ning who, no one knows how, always managed to understand immediately what the peacock thought. "My friends ..." Shen lingered a moment looking at the spies and when Genji nodded yes he decided to tell the truth. The previous evening they had discussed the possible impact that such news would have had, but the peacock knew that if he wanted to obtain consensus, telling lies would not be in his favor! "... Rose I discovered our desire to escape and most of the work done so far to be able to implement such a plan!" Shen said in one breath. The agitation spread like a shock wave and immediately comments and numerous questions arose "Will it hinder us?" She asked worried. "Have you told your father yet?" Xu asked even more alarmed "We have to act now!" Kun shouted firmly. Mu, the yellow python spoke for the first time during one of their meetings "If the plan was decided yes. But if it's just to anticipate their moves, it doesn't seem wise to me! ". Qi, the crocodile waved its tail "But what if we try to bring it back to our side? Or did we convince her that she was wrong? "He asked hopefully. Ming had a good laugh. "That girl is naive Qi, but she is not stupid!" Said the deer. "Yes, but that doesn't help us at all!" Bao said as he stuffed himself with radishes in an attack of nervous hunger. But the question that rose above the others was that of Kang "Did he find out, or were you the one who told him?" He asked ... scared? That peacock had impressive self-control! "He found out! Derek has always kept an eye on us! "Shen confessed. "Maybe he also knows about the stolen material hidden in the lab!" Cong said waving her tail in frustration.

"We will continue with the preparations. It doesn't matter if they find out! This must not in any way discourage us! "Tai said trying to improve everyone's morale. "Only those who risk going too far will have the opportunity to find out how far you can go!" Said the Master, once again proving his wisdom. "Well! Then let's do it! "Guo said encouraged by the thorny anteater who always managed to welcome the events of life with innate calm. "What?" Pei asked confused. "Let's continue training for the big day!" Guo replied as if he were explaining the most obvious thing in the world that could be "there is day but also night". But as everyone retired to train Shen felt someone put their wing on his shoulder and turned to see Kang "We have to talk!" Father said resolutely. Shen nodded and followed all his fellows into Tai's house. Once inside and everyone had settled down he immediately started talking "I'm sorry, but despite the precautions it seems that Derek is holding the knife on the handle side!" Shen admitted knowing that this would be a serious blow for them. "Is she angry?" Tai asked with obvious fear in her voice. Shen nodded, causing many to lower their broken heads. "I am sure he will understand! It just needs time! "Jingjing said, revealing his presence and making many of the peacocks jump out of fear. "When did he arrive?" Zhi asked turning to his brother Chu, who could not answer. "So you're not coming this week?" Hong asked heartily. "I don't think ... he said he didn't want anything more to do with us!" Shen said downcast because he was aware that this news would destroy the peacocks. "We disappointed her!" Chao said destroyed. "We should have told her the truth right away! At least we! "Feng admitted sadly. "What did we do!" Wei said, also shocked by that news. "The greatest happiness is not in never falling, but in always rising after a fall," said the old Master. "What do you mean?" Cheng asked intrigued by such a statement. "If you give up immediately you will agree with your words. If you really care about her, you will know how to fight and come out victorious! "Replied the Master. "But he will never forgive us! We have betrayed his trust and in the worst way! "Jiang said heartily. "Try the impossible even when nothing seems possible! Aren't you already doing it with the escape plan? "Jingjing asked amusedly.

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Fortunately, hope had been rekindled in the hearts of peacocks and the situation was improving day by day. On the morning of the sixth day he decided to start laying the foundations for his new idea. "Our colors differ slightly, so I am convinced that if we could exchange identities soon no one will be able to remember who is the brightest red and who the darkest one!" He began to explain Shen noting Sheng's impatience. Apparently the two of them looked more like each other than they thought! If the job was successful it would have brought many benefits! For a moment Shen remembered the moment when he would meet with Zhan ... yes, his closest friend would not be left behind. If he didn't want to deal with his parents anymore, on the other hand, he had in mind to bring Zhan's pack in the mountains with them! It would have been fun to observe the friend's face showing him a twin almost identical to him! He was already anticipating the idea! "So!" Sheng pulled him out of his thoughts as he inspected his guan dao. It was clear that he had no idea how to use it! "You will teach me to fight like you and I will do the same! We will learn to speak each other's way ... and I think that's enough ... or ... "he couldn't say more because he was interrupted by his brother" Okay! I'll stop you here! Know that I have always detested riddles! You'll have to give it up! "Shen said annoyed. "Thing? But I'm a part of me! "Sheng protested" That's why you have to learn to do without it! "The brother insisted. "Look, humans don't understand us when we speak! So if I insult them or say a riddle, it does the same! "Sheng complained.

Seeing that he did not seem convinced Shen decided to play the winning card "Yes, but the others know your passion! It won't take them long to understand that you're pretending! "The peacock sighed knowing that this thing had to be done to allow them to become truly unrecognizable" But, you're right, you will have to teach me many of your riddles ... "he admitted angrily. Sheng's face brightened. "Really?" He asked. "Sure! I am you and you are me remember? ... I will also have to teach you something about fireworks! "He admitted reluctantly. "It was too good to be so simple!" Sheng said as fear made his feathers ruffle. Shen grinned. Her dear brother had always feared fireworks, the time had come to share his discoveries with his family. His parents had always told him that their invention would be a family legacy and Shen would make it so!

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Rose had been locked in her rooms for about a week. Sam didn't know what to do! Not even he had managed to move her from the room, precisely the bed, where she had spent days here, crying and eating with difficulty! On the other hand, his father didn't seem to care much about his daughter's painful conditions ... not that it was new! But secretly to the boy Dishi and Genji had decided to act without everyone's knowledge. The girl had proved to be a sincere friend and was different from her fellow men. They wanted at all costs to repair the wrong they had helped orchestrate! But observing the human they understood that someone with experience was needed here, for this reason they dragged poor Jingjing through the air ducts into Rose's room. As always, the thorny anteater had behaved as if it were completely normal to be thrown into a room to give comfort to a stranger. But even if he had never seen her, he knew that the girl needed a comfort that was different from friendship! "Disturbance?" Asked the Master in a gentle voice. Rose screamed in surprise both to find him there next to her, and because she had no idea what animal she was! "What are you doing here?" The girl asked frightened. "Everyone believes you hate them! Especially Tai and Kang together with their numerous brothers! "Master explained calmly" What a rude! " "Rose, pleasure! And I confirm that it is just like you said! I don't want to deal with them anymore, so save your time and go back to where you came from! "The girl said angrily.

But the Master did not move knowing that she had not yet finished speaking. "What am I doing? I also took it out on Sam! And he had nothing to do with it! "The girl said in tears. "You will not be punished for your anger; it will be your anger itself that will punish you! "Jingjing said. "I told you to leave!" Rose screamed burying her head under the pillow. "There are three things that can destroy you: lie, pride and betrayal. But there are three things you must never lose: hope, patience and honesty! "Said the Master, not at all annoyed by the disrespectful and irascible character of the human. "I have two! Plant it with these sermons! I won't change my mind anyway! I've always been alone, but awareness has only come now and as you can see ... it hurts! "She confessed trying to suppress sobs. Jingjing smiled "Why is the concept of solitude combined too often with the verb to undergo and much less with the verb to seek?" He asked as if he was speaking to himself. The strategy worked because Rose looked at him confused. "To seek solitude is to tell yourself that you want to constantly look for yourself!" Said the Master. Then he approached the girl and once he took one of his hands with one paw, with the other he began to caress her back "Remove the veil of anger that obscures your sight! The lack of a parenting guide does not make you less strong than anyone else and above all you are not alone! "The anteater said fondly. "Why are you so convinced?" Rose asked, a little relieved and hopeful. "Because they miss you! And even if he doesn't admit it even under torture, I think Shen feels guilty for lying to you too! "The Master replied with a smirk. The girl laughed too. Yes, Shen was extremely proud and it would take him some time to admit such a thing. She had noticed it during that tense period. He was much less grumpy with her, so he believed he was really starting to create a friendship relationship with him ... just to receive a deadly blow like betrayal!

The Master went to the pipes jumping with extreme agility on a wardrobe "The two most important days of life are the day you were born and the day you find out why!" He said before disappearing into the air ducts.


	21. Chapter 21

**A NEW ALLIED **

Even if she was always sulky, in the end Rose, it is not known why, by divine miracle perhaps, she had left her rooms, returning to school from one day to the next! That girl would never stop surprising him! Sam was aware that their friendship, at the moment, was a severe test, but he continued to believe that in the end she would have confided as always and everything would be back in place! Another week passed and the boy counted with trepidation the days left until the end of the school. Having given up trying to make any contact with her friend, she headed for the training rooms knowing that her father was there because of a repair to be done. But as he turned the last corner that separated him from his destination, his eye caught a rapid movement. A black spot had jumped on a chandelier to disappear through the air ducts. Rose had explained to him that the mustelids used them to move freely around the palace during the month of the white peacock's stay, but now that, in theory, all the animals had been locked up in the reserve, it was strange to see one free to go around the castle! He didn't know why, but he headed at full speed towards Rose's rooms. He had overheard a conversation between his father and Derek and had thus become aware of strange movements made by animals. Her friend's father suspected that it was they who had turned the rooms upside down during the past winter, but no one had yet figured out what they were looking for! Before precipitating the situation, with hasty conclusions, Derek had decided to investigate the matter thoroughly to avoid breaking that peace with animals that had done nothing but benefit him so far.

Despite all the collector was firmly convinced that any attempt to escape by the animals was futile, because they were too stupid to devise a plan that could defeat his defenses, but Sam realized that perhaps it was not so. He wanted to see it clear. Also for Rose. She had felt used and betrayed, but perhaps it was just a misunderstanding. Furthermore, he still had guilt for what he had done, so trying to heal relationships between them would allow him to be forgiven by all animals. There was nothing he could do, once he met Rose's friends, even if little and bad, curiosity had consumed him and he could not wait to feel accepted! Before he considered them dangerous, he attacked them, and now he sought their company! He must have been mad! He smiled to himself: he and Rose looked very much alike! Maybe he could understand it now. His was not a whim, she really cared about those animals and Sam would do everything possible not to see her unhappy anymore. Fortunately the rooms were deserted, so, in a hurry, Sam took a friend's jacket plus a scarf to cover his face. It was hot, but it was worth sweating a little for the approval of a friendship. Fortunately the guards let him pass and it was not so difficult to force the lock on the main gate. Once inside the dense vegetation he took off his disguise realizing that he was soaking wet! Damn him for being warm! He tried to remember the way to the twins' house, but the haste to hide in order to be able to take off that stupid disguise had made him lose his orientation even before thinking clearly! The entire reserve was under video surveillance ... that is, only the houses, the access gates and some part of the boundary wall, but still had to pay attention! He had forgotten his watch, so he could not say exactly after how much he began to hear noises.

Taking a few steps, he lowered himself down to walk on all fours to a thick bush. The vegetation was dense but this did not seem to disturb the animals as they trained among themselves. In fact, it seemed more like a real fight! Not wanting to be a spy, he decided to reveal himself. Everyone stopped and stared at him. He also saw the white peacock he had met in the castle long ago ... Shen was his name. They all seemed to be in great shape and this made him happy. He saw with surprise that there was a large variety of animals: cattle, felines, a bat, a gorilla, a crocodile, snakes ... (the fear increased), lizard, mantis, deer, rabbit, fox .. ... and also birds between here eagle, hawk and many owls! Only one animal had no idea what it was! "Hello! I apologize if I show up here without any warning, but I need your help! "Sam explained briefly. A blue peacock with a white patch on its chest came forward over the others. It was Kang. Rose had practically raised her together with the other older peacocks in the reserve. The bird in question raised its crest and tilted its head to the side. Immediately afterwards he nodded with a wing that looked like a "sit down" or "continue". "Rose is in pieces! Feels betrayed. But ... you know I recently saw animals of our world that lived in freedom ... They were afraid of us humans and ... it was nice to see them live in the wild and ... . "A snarl made the boy freeze and in horror he saw that it came from a large panther. "I want to help you! ... to escape, I mean! In fact it was quite obvious, but you could have understood another thing ... maybe I wanted to help you re-establish relationships with Rose, even if it wouldn't be bad! Maybe convincing her ... "Sam was stopped again by a snarl, but this time he belonged to a tiger with a lighter coat than normal.

How was it possible that when he was nervous he started talking like an idiot? Eventually he decided to follow Kang and his partner when they led him to what was their home. He remembered her well from her first visit! A pinch of curiosity made him turn in the direction of the point where all the other animals had disappeared. Would they have civilly discussed what to do with him, or would they have slaughtered each other to grab their prey? Well, many were herbivores ... and also being anthropomorphic animals they were different from those he had seen ... but certain thoughts and some questions just couldn't help them!

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"We can't trust it!" Xu said resolutely. "He's right! Maybe Derek sent him as his spy! "Ji gave him a hand. Tay-Yang who until then believed in the peaceful relationship established with humans, expressed his doubts "If the collector finds out what we are plotting I believe that any possibility can be destroyed in half a second!". "Does anyone remember that he tried to take one of us out?" Mei asked as she was lying on a large branch showing relaxation in stark contrast to her inner mood. "Thanks Mei!" Replied the two wolves who had had to use all their self-control in order not to slaughter that worm when they realized that he had had the nerve to be seen again in the reserve! Meng, an albino vulture landed badly on the ground near the small group "The human is from Kang. In the meantime, Tai is gathering everyone in the square! "He informed them before taking off again. Without saying a word, each of those present went towards the meeting point. Gan the python together with Mu and Zhu approached Shen as soon as they saw him arrive. "We've heard a lot about your escape plan!" Gan said "What are you going to do with the spy now?" Zhu asked teasingly. Shen's crest twitched. He absolutely had to convince everyone to actively participate in the plan because humans would use any weakness to their advantage! "I will return this spy against the principal!" Shen replied confidently. "How?" Mu asked, more skeptical than curious. "I'll make sure to give him what he wants most, which Derek can't do, to get him to collaborate!" The peacock explained. "What?" Zhu asked curiously. "Peace between him and Rose," Shen replied.

"Oh yes? Could you do such a thing? "Gan asked, who was clearly holding back the laughter. "When we get out of here, the urge to laugh and doubt will pass!" Shen said in an icy voice before moving away from the reptiles that had lost the desire to laugh. Mei looked at those overgrown lizards as soon as his friend left. "They seem really shaken by Shen's sudden mood swings!" Lang Min observed. "I can't blame him!" Said the cat. "Shen can sometimes be extremely disturbing and intimidating!" He explained. "Maybe it's part of her charm!" Said the peacock before heading for the center of the square next to Xing. Mei was blown away by that comment. Charm? But what charm was only his damned character that ... wait! Stop everyone ! ... Lang Min had a crush on Shen? It was absurd both the thought and the fact itself! But that last sentence was very suspicious and the cat promised herself to verify her doubts later. "Friends, we gathered to decide what to do with the intruder. I know that many of you don't trust him because of his past, and I confess that I'm a little reluctant to trust him too, but Shen has a plan! "Tai said pointing to the young man next to him. The white peacock swallowed a bitter bite. Everything depended on that speech! He had to show himself strong and determined on what he intended to do in order to implement a plan that had a good success rate. "Like many of you I don't trust the boy. But Cheung has brought vital information since his last visit to the castle: Sam is the son of the one who designed the reserve! "He revealed without too many preambles.

A surprised murmur rose from the crowd and Shen waited for them to ask. Instead of exposing the plan right away, he would let their curiosity bring it to light slowly, so that it didn't seem like just an order to execute. A melanic rabbit came forward with respect to all. Seeing her, Shen remembered that he had exchanged three words with her during her year and a half. "You describe it as the main piece of the plan! If he betrays us, everything will irreparably collapse! "She said firmly and many statements supported what she had just said. "Sorry, but how can you trust him after he attacked you?" Wan asked a melanic fox. "I don't trust him!" Shen said "But if you rely on him to be able to escape you are hopelessly trusting him!" between him and Shu. "In life there are risks that we cannot afford to run and there are risks that we cannot afford not to run!" Said the Master approaching the white peacock. A general murmur followed that revelation. "The plan is risky, there is no doubt about this! If we don't accept this, let's first stay in here, locked up for life! "Shen exploded. With his breath and his ruffled feathers he lowered his head when Jingjing gave him a reproachful look. He absolutely had to exercise his patience! But it was too late now! But the opposite happened than he expected! That last sentence had not stifled the minds, on the contrary, it had set them on fire at the idea of staying forever in that place.

"What will we do once out?" Asked Huo, the albino eagle. "Fa has identified a thick forest at the foot of a mountain. We will hide there until we have completed the construction of a large boat that will allow us to leave these lands once and for all! "Shen said illustrating the plan. Mei approached her friend and after a knowing look spoke "Sam will help us to deceive the surveillance to allow us to escape. Now we have to decide whether to do it all together or divided into small groups! "Said the cat. "Divided?" Asked confused Ye, the albino crow "But so humans will notice that someone is missing and everyone else will be screwed!" Jiang protested. "He's right!" Xian said. "But wasn't it you who said that only by staying united would we have any chance?" Tong asked Chong's fiancée. "And now he says we have to split up!" Gan teased. "Inconsistency at the highest levels!" Mu said. A snarl silenced the snakes. Xu stood by Shen's side. "Every group that leaves will leave this place and go to hide in the place indicated. Those who remain will make sure that humans do not realize that our number is decreasing as we will be imprisoned in the castle! So to run the greatest risk will be only the last while for the rest the success rate will be remarkably high! "Explained the panther, nervous about the disrespectful behavior towards his friend. Shen raised his crest in surprise. A strong friendship had developed between him and the cats. He could not say if it was thanks to Mei that he could now fully count on them or just because of him, but he was sure that once at home, at least they would stay together.

"This is a good plan!" Tai said enthusiastically. After this affirmation, cries of assent rose from everyone, even from snakes and Shen understood that freedom was now at hand!

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Evening came. Sam had felt so happy few times in his life. At his parties, or during some school trips. He never would have believed it could be for such a thing! That is, until a few days before he feared them! Absurd and magnificent at the same time! Now she had to find a way to make them peace with Rose and it was done! Maybe he could even have visited their world! Her friend had often left with her father since she always acted as an interpreter. In fact, he wondered what Derek invented to be able to communicate with animals when he didn't take her with him !? A journey full of dangers and adventure was what he had always dreamed of and he had to admit that going to Los Angeles had been a deadly boredom. There wasn't much to see and having gone there to study he didn't have much freedom ... yes, if the opportunity arose he and Rose would leave with them! Kang's wife offered him dragon clouds and he ate trying to be as polite as possible. Each move was calculated to be able to receive more and more trust! Suddenly the twins entered who seemed to be in the full swing of an intense catch. They motioned for him to join them and Sam didn't let himself be prayed for long. Once outside he realized that more time had passed than he thought and the time had come to return. Unfortunately the two peacocks were already gone in the thick vegetation! "Now it's late! They lend it to me even if I stay another ten minutes! "The boy thought to start running immediately afterwards. But he had underestimated those birds! They were fast and agile despite the large queues they had to carry around! In a short time he found himself with his hands resting on his knees intent on catching his breath and the twins were gone again!

"How did Rose play with them?" He wondered. Also counting that her best friend had found herself since childhood in the company of peacocks! He was about to resume the race when he saw Shen in the distance, in the company of the she-wolf he had fought against. He completely ignored his conscience and headed for them. The core of the speech had yet to be established, but he absolutely wanted to talk to them, even though it would have been a one-way speech since he couldn't understand them!

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"So are you listing all the possible implications that the alliance with Sam could bring to be sure not to upset the plan? It's impossible you know! You can never hit them all! "Shu said not at all happy with the final decision. "We must be ready! If we act behind him, the possibilities increase! Sam will never have to tell him anything! "Shen replied speaking of their jailer. "Hurricane coming!" Said the wolf seeing Lang Min approaching. The conversations between them were mostly quarrels and even if they were extremely funny, he knew well that the most delicate phase for the escape plan was approaching: to ally with the boy and get his trust! "Shen, I have to talk to you!" Said the peacock approaching with a worried arai. Shen knew that an arrow was coming and decided to ignore it. He was far too stressed by the whole situation! He didn't feel like bickering for futile reasons! She got angry and grabbed him by the wing. The peacock did not have time to shout at her that he saw her fall on the ground, like a ripe fruit. "Lang Min ...?" He called to her, shaking her, suspecting it was a way to let him drop his guard and attack. They often fought and talked at the same time. Since the quarrels were at the height it was better to express all their strength not only in words! Luckily, Kung Fu did not foresee to hurt the opponent in any way! This saved them a lot of hassle! "What did you say to reduce her to this state?" Shu asked seeing that the peacockess made no sign of wanting to recover. "Absolutely nothing!" Shen replied, who was starting to worry "Then you have to teach me this" nothing "!" The wolf said waving her curious tail.

The peacock glared at her before returning attention to her friend. A yelp preceded the collapse of Shu and as soon as Shen saw her he understood: poachers! He felt a tingling on the right wing and had time to see a dart sticking out of it before the darkness enveloped him. "Guys! ..." Xian walked quickly looking for Syaoran's brother and friend who had been looking for her for quite some time. The peacock heard noises and walked towards them. He saw Shu, Shen and Lang Min lying on the ground. He approached them furiously "What unfortunate idea is this? Know that if it is a joke I ... "he could not finish the sentence that he saw a human being staring at him. He was not a guard, the clothes were different and his weapon was bizarre, exactly like the ones that poachers had! He was surrounded! There were many this time! He took a breath and paupulated as hard as possible. As expected, he was hit and passed out soon after.

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Sam couldn't believe it! He had heard of them, but being a few meters from those matriculated thieves was another matter! It was by pure luck that he had noticed a movement in a bush not far from the peacock and the wolf and had stopped. A peacockess had joined the duo and her doubts had been confirmed: there were intruders! Also this time the reason went to be blessed and following the instinct he decided to go after those bandits while dragging the unconscious animals in large steel nets. Once they reached the wall they approached a small gate and one of the guards made them pass as if nothing had happened. Fortunately he approached the gate alone, with his back to him. So it was easy for Sam to sneak out and hide behind a tree after crawling as quietly as possible. The guard and poachers turned their backs on them as they settled the unconscious animals in a large truck. But it wasn't just the three he had seen. Another white peacock had joined them and had been captured! Sam froze when he heard others coming. Peering he saw that they had also taken a snake, another peacock and ... a gorilla! It had to be heavy since there were five of them to drag the animal! All those present, after placing those poor beasts inside the truck, headed for the gate. As soon as they started talking about money Sam approached the vehicle. They had not yet closed the doors, one was wide open, while the other slightly closed. The boy hid behind the second and took a quick look inside.

There was an empty cage! Slowly he approached and as soon as one of those strangers raised his voice a little too much, he clicked the lock by opening the door of the cage and jumping in. It was not very big, it had to be completely bent, but fortunately there was straw to hide under. He gathered it up to form a large pile and slipped under it. Someone else would have rushed for help, or set off the alarm, but he wasn't someone else, it was Sam! And if there was a situation that you could only see in series like Gotham or Daredevil ... he certainly did not hold back!


	22. Chapter 22

**ENEMIES FRIENDS**

Shen woke up with a big headache. As soon as he remembered everything jumped up only to swear immediately after giving a deadly head shot to the bars of the cage in which he was. Were there also Shu and Lang Min, Xian ...? He as we had finished ... also Chong, Gan and Kun were with them! How they managed to make a raid of those proportions without anyone noticing! The roar of thunder was constant and Shen had to try very hard not to let the tail open which, because of the fear he felt, threatened to open wide at any moment!

_Whoever is caught by poachers does not end well!_ This was what he knew! Now he had to try to find a way to change the statistics in their favor!

"Great!" A voice made him crash into the bars again and turned to see Xian sitting in the center of his cage looking around bewildered and nervous. "Can I know what you're doing here?" Shen asked "I could ask you the same question, brother!" He replied. "Shen, Lang Min, stop fighting, I want to sleep!" Shu said curling up on herself. "Poachers!" The peacocks said in chorus and the she-wolf jumped just a meter because of the bars against which she slammed which prevented her from going higher. "Damn it!" He complained rubbing his head. "Well! They discovered the plan! The situation improves visibly! "Gan complained as soon as he woke up. "I think it's poachers!" Xian said, showing no sympathy for the reptile. "Even better!" Said the python sarcastically. "But ... nobody raised the alarm!" Shu observed. "So they managed to defeat our foolproof defenses! How can we think of running away if we can't protect ourselves in a closed and well-guarded place like the reserve? "Asked the snake furiously. "Oh, please! Human! Kill him, or kill me so he doesn't have to endure it anymore! "Shu said putting his paws on his ears. "Where are we?" Chong had regained consciousness too "I don't know!" As well as Lang Min. "Hi brother! Apparently the training was interrupted to test us on what we learned in this period of intense training! "Xian said, finding himself next to his friend.

Chong did two and two and said "Poachers!" The peacock visibly trembled "At this moment I suddenly want to go back to the reserve!" He admitted. "Ironic, isn't it? As soon as we are out we are attracted to what we previously repudiated! "Gan said making Shu growl. "What's going on?" A seventh voice made everyone turn to Kun. "We were caught by the poachers!" Chong replied as if it were completely normal. "But ... there was no alarm! How did they catch us so by surprise? "Asked the confused gorilla" That's exactly what I said! "Shu observed" Stop everyone! "Then added" We don't move "replied Gan with bad humor. "Then the others are in danger too!" Said the wolf in concern. "I don't think so!" Shen admitted "How?" Shu asked "They captured us. By now the others are in no danger! "Explained the peacock. "Silence, thank you!" An unknown voice made everyone jump. "What is he doing here?" Asked Shu growling in the direction of the human who had just emerged from under a pile of straw. "Sorry, but when I saw this van I couldn't resist and went up!" Sam confessed. "Furcone?" Gan asked bewildered. Realizing, from the various confused expressions, who had no idea what he was talking about, he decided to broadly explain what he had just said "To make you understand ... we humans are lazy. We hate walking and we invented wagons that move on their own! Before, we used animals, but without their help we can go much faster! Now we are on one of them! "Said the boy lying down inside his cage. "Instead of saying nonsensical things he should get us out of here since his cell is open!" Kun said grabbing the bars with his mighty hands. A sharp whistle and a sudden movement made everyone fall to the ground. All those present did not say a word, intent on catching any sound coming from outside to understand what was happening. Noises preceded the opening of a large steel door and saw the poachers enter without the slightest fear. Kun punched the bars in a threatening manner, earning a loud laugh from their jailers.

"Hurry! He paid salty for these sacks of fleas! "Said a human who checked the work. "Come on, we took one more, so we can take it easy!" Said another while he was in front of a small and strong cart thanks to which he lifted a cage with poor Lang Min inside and brought it out to rest it on a field. Once they were all taken outside of what they called a "van" another human began to observe them and take notes on a sheet of paper. "Why do they dress like penguins?" Xian asked seeing a group of men approaching. "You are right! They have the same colors! "Lang min said, barely laughing. One human being in particular approached with more interest than the "penguins". He was dressed differently and Shen understood that he was the boss. "I asked for six animals!" "Yes, sir. But we wanted to surprise her and ... "" Taking a very common female peacock? If it was albino I would have appreciated! ... Bring them in! "The servant obeyed without saying a word and Shen had to admit that the scene was to his liking. Derek was without a shadow of a ruthless doubt, but he had never had the opportunity to see him interact with his men! Seeing one of their race in a condition of such submission was pleasant! "Female peacock!" Chong repeated, clearly spelling out the words "Apparently ignorance is rampant among human beings! Think that the guards are afraid of the Master because they don't know what kind of animal it is! "Gan said. "Don't they know what a peacock is called? Sorry, but I didn't even know what animal the Master was, are you giving me ignorant? "Lang Min asked offended, showing his proud side.

"No, only that, as often happens, the rich are ignorant just because they don't need to find a good job to earn a lot, given the great wealth they enjoy squandering!" Gan said making it clear that he was of humble origins. Shen made a face when he heard that comment. He was not an ignorant, quite the contrary. His parents had joined him with the best teachers in the province! "Sir, if the two peacocks mate with the female we would double our heritage!" A penguin's phrase made him return with his feet on the ground. These humans had the fixation of procreation ... no, simply that of money since they had that value and that's it! "Now we have to run away from them first and then from Derek!" Gan said. "One question: where's Derek?" Chong asked looking around. Shen's crest rose as he surveyed the landscape. Out of the reserve it was completely different! There were the mountains, while where they were at the moment, only green grasslands that stretched to infinity. "We have to look for a map!" Shen said before the humans started transporting them again. This place was much more secluded. There was no window through which tourists could gaze at them and even the high and protected balconies! They were taken to a tiny cage when compared to the reserve. Poor Shu was placed in a confined space with Gan, bordered by thick bars, while Shen and the others found themselves in a slightly larger garden. "Do they think I can tear you up?" Shu asked furiously. She hated being locked up, but if the space she was in was low, the tension skyrocketed. "I think the sooner we leave, the better!" Chong said noting the wolf's nervousness. "Shu, I have to talk to you!" Lang Min said approaching the bars. From the look of the peacock Shen understood that her intent was to distract her and so she decided to indulge her "Gan checks that there are no weak points in these bars, while we will inspect the rest!" Shen said. To his surprise the snake obeyed without saying a word and the peacock sighed with relief. Maybe that was an opportunity to bring the reptile to his side and finally be able to stop attacking each time they spoke!

"It will be one hundred and fifty or two hundred square meters!" Kun said after making the complete circle of the perimeter "The cage of Shu and Gan just under a hundred! It's a big change from the reserve! "The slightly afflicted gorilla noticed. "About the reserve ..." Xian said approaching "... have you seen Sam? I have lost sight of him since we were put in here! " "I hope he ran to warn Derek, so it will save us the trouble of running away from this place too!" Kun said before taking a fruit from a tree and eating it avidly. Seeing this, Shen was also hungry and climbed a tree. "It's so beautiful seen from up here!" A voice made him end upside down so he could experience how a bat felt! He looked up and saw Lang Min laughing. Holding her robe so as not to remain naked, she pulled herself up, reserving a cold look to her friend. "What's nice about a cage?" Shen asked, embarrassed by the bad figure he had just made. "Landscape beyond bars!" Lang Min replied without taking his eyes off the immense spectacle offered by nature. The peacock snorted as if he wanted to make it clear that he didn't believe it in the least. A landscape seen from the bars can be splendid, but Shen did not want to pause to observe, he wanted to see it more closely, passing beyond them! As if he had perceived the reasoning of his friend Lang Min asked him a question "Tell me a little Shen, how did you spend your time before we met? You know, it's almost normal for me to observe things from afar since there was my father who controlled every single day of my life! Did your parents abandon you before they put the chains on you, perhaps? "She asked sourly. The peacock became tense like a violin string: that was a delicate topic, he would not have won it for any reason in the world! He pretended to reflect on his answer "Thinking about it ... my life was empty, without a purpose! I was only fighting for money! But now, thanks to you, I can even find watching a stone exciting! "Shen answered gruffly. "I hate you to death!" Lang Min said taking a threatening step towards the peacock. "I fully reciprocate that feeling!" He said back. "Crazy!" Lang Min shouted "Better crazy than moody!" Shen said furiously. "Are you giving me moody?" She asked more and more angry "You say?" He asked with obvious sarcasm.

"He died mad, but he was born stupid!" Lang Min said with a smile "How dare you ..." Shen stopped abruptly and stood still staring at an indefinite point on his left. "What's up? You don't know how to answer anymore? "She asked mistakenly believing she had won. The intensity of his friend's gaze was such as to make her turn too: Sam was watching them! He was also on top of a tree, but he was outside the cage! The boy was intent on wiping away his tears, but from the smile that the peacock had printed on his face he realized that they hadn't been shed because of the sadness ... he was ... laughing at them? "How long has he been there?" Lang Min asked, embarrassed and embarrassed "As far as we know, there could always have been!" Shen replied furiously at such a lack of privacy. Even if the boy did not understand what they were saying, it certainly did not take a genius to guess that compliments were not being made! After fulfilling his initial purpose, that is to take a fruit, Shen got off the tree as quickly as possible, followed closely by Lang Min. "More and more friends, huh?" Xian asked, who had witnessed the whole squabble. "Shut up!" Shen replied, still angry at the fight.

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"I'll never eat from there!" Shu said, looking with disgust at the bowl full of small biscuits which gave off a nauseating smell. Evening had arrived, even if they didn't know exactly how long they had been unconscious and how much they had traveled Shen and the others had identified five vanishing points! One on the wall: at some point the barbed wire had been damaged and having been hurriedly repaired Chong had ascertained that it could be easily broken. The second was an old wooden door. Even if she was small, she could have put the peacocks through who would run for help. The third was a grate through which the water passed, if broken it would free them all. The penultimate consisted of slipping into the manor house, full of undoubtedly humans, since an immense window overlooking the garden would have been easy to break and enter the human home even if extremely dangerous. The last one consisted of an old hole in the Shu and Gan cage, patched with heavy stones. Among them, the she-wolf could clearly see an access point created by the previous occupants. Perhaps even the penultimate prisoners had tried to escape! Gan was too robust to go through the cracks between the boulders and to avoid getting stuck he had decided to listen to other proposals for the escape plan. In addition, the bars that divided the wolf and the snake from the others were ridiculous: being without barbed wire on their top, it was easy to climb over them, indeed, Shen wondered why they had been put! Maybe the animals before them were small or didn't know how to jump ... "There are two crocodiles and an orangutan, two small snakes and a golden eagle, the cat, the mouse, the elephant: nobody is missing anymore; you just can't see the two unicorns "Sam's voice came from outside and Xian climbed up a tree to see him sitting on a trunk while he sang that strange song. "We rack our brains to try to escape and that sings!" Kun observed with amazement. "Should we really team up with him to escape the reserve?" Gan asked, whose skepticism had skyrocketed.

"One day Noah went into the forest and all the animals wanted around him: "The Lord got angry the flood will send: you are not to blame, I will save you" Sam was aware that the song was for children, but in such a situation nothing else had occurred to him! "First we have to go back to the reserve in order to escape from it!" Shu pointed out. "Do we have to choose the one there as an ally? Rose wouldn't be better at this point! "The snake insisted. "Don't you think that leaving now is the wisest choice?" Chong asked, also annoyed by the out of tune notes emitted by the human. "There are two crocodiles and an orangutan, two small snakes and a golden eagle, the cat, the mouse, the elephant: nobody is missing anymore; only the two unicorns are not seen "the refrain was fundamental! Without it it was like bringing a cake to the party without the filling, the one that melts in your mouth while you eat it! Unforgivable! "And as the animals went up Noah saw a big cloud in the sky and drop by drop it rained began:" I can no longer wait for the ark to close. "It was nice to think that in one of the elementary school performances he had been the lion that is one of the many animals saved by Noah. Now he was on the opposite side! If everything went well, he would have saved the animals and not vice versa. "There are two crocodiles and an orangutan, two small snakes and a golden eagle, the cat, the mouse, the elephant: nobody is missing anymore; only the two unicorns are not seen. And as he continued to climb the sea and the ark was far away with all the animals Noé thought no longer of those who forgot: since then no one has seen the two unicorns anymore. "The song was about to end! It was a nice problem! When one writes to you I will arrive in ten minutes you expect ten minutes! Instead, it always ends up waiting for double if not triple the time! At first he had been against the idea of writing down the cell phone of his friend's father, but in the end his father had given it to him and therefore he had given up. Now he had found himself mentally thanking the parent, because it had been enough to send a message, with their position, to the collector, that the answer had arrived after less than five minutes._ "A few hours and we will be there to pick you up! Make sure that no harm is done to the animals! "_

The last recommendation was bizarre, especially because it was impossible for him to do such a thing, but luckily everything had gone well and he had not had to expose himself to any danger. Aside from being captured by those strangers, of course! As if that weren't enough, an infinite wait awaited him! "There are two crocodiles and an orangutan, two small snakes and a golden eagle, the cat, the mouse, the elephant: nobody is missing anymore; you just can't see the two unicorns. "Song ended. Security there was bad! He had sung loudly and nobody had noticed. Or they had seen it not considering it a danger! It was better and less humiliating, to think that it was for the first reason that nobody had tried to arrest him. Of course, he did not break any law by being outside of that private home, but not to let him say what he had seen who knows what they could have done to him! These new doubts made his jaws tighten and abandon the idea of choosing from the phone album, some other song to sing, for the joy of the animals! A few hours passed and the moon had been high in the sky for many hours now. Even though it was late they were all awake and perhaps intent on organizing an escape plan. An intermittent red light in the sky made him look up and a smile was printed on his face: Derek had arrived! And not with a very common machine, but with its formidable airship. Double the size of a normal one, armed to the teeth and extremely capacious, Sam considered it an engineering masterpiece! For the first time he would have set foot there! This simple realization managed to wake him up completely from the abbiocco that for a few minutes risked making him fall asleep as well as from the tree on which he was. It was time to go home! I wonder if Rose would appreciate what she had done, or her father, or Derek. Even if more than for them it was curiosity that pushed him so far! Maybe now the animals would stop avoiding it! The time had come to do the right thing!

**Yes, I know that all the chapters have been republished! **

**My fault! By mistake I deleted the first one, unable to correct the error, I had to delete and reload all the chapters to have them in the correct order!**

**Aside from this confusion, I hope the story is going well!**

**I await your judgment! **

**See you soon,**

**X-98**


	23. Chapter 23

**ANNOUNCEMENTS **

Autumn followed followed by winter. The roles had been reversed. If it was Rose who spent a lot of time with the animals before, now it was Sam who was in that situation. Her friend at the moment seemed more focused on finishing her day-to-day homework as soon as possible even though Sam could have sworn he did it just to keep busy! He had also made new friends. Beatrice and Caleb were the new entries and now Rose spent all the time outside the house in their company. The former had always been her friend, but she had never spent so much time together. She usually felt more on the phone as she stayed with the animals as much as possible. While the second had recently become her boyfriend.

He could deceive others, but not himself: Sam suffered a lot because of how abruptly their relationship had ended! Since she found out that her father had given him permission to work with animals, they hadn't spoken to each other. The boy, although he was unable to communicate with them in any way, had taken Rose's place as a peacemaker. The name had given itself to himself, but at least Derek could be sure that, thanks to the boy's weekly reports, the precarious situation of a few months earlier would never recur! The beauty was that he believed it! Last summer and with the resumption of lessons, Sam had trusted a boy named Teo. He was a year behind him, but in addition to being a genius in computer science, he had proved to be a sincere and good friend! He was clearly Rose's replacement, but the boy tried not to think about it too much! Thanks to his new friend Sam, after a month and a half of research, he had a complete picture of the general system that concerned alarms and video cameras. "My father is a computer engineer, since I was a child he has made me work with the computer and I must say that I am grateful to him. If it weren't for him, now I wouldn't be the man in the chair! "Teo said enthusiastically. Sam looked at him. The reflection of the computer in his glasses was funny to see but he tried to remain serious anyway "What are you talking about?" He asked making a face in order not to smile. "I get all the information while you act guided by me! You know ... espionage, missions to tamper with systems ... things like that! When do we get into action? "The boy asked euphorically. "I don't know yet, but for now let's keep a low profile!" Sam replied as he got ready to go out "I mean?" Teo asked confused "Try not to be too euphoric, otherwise they will ask for explanations, I don't know about you, but I'm not good at lying! "Sam answered rolling his eyes. He was a genius, but he was always smaller than he was! "All right! Wait up! Will you take me inside someday? "The young man asked hopefully.

"Today?" Sam asked only to laugh when he saw Teo's surprised and frightened expression. "Yes!" He answered hesitantly. "Let's go then!" Said the older one putting on his jacket. "Now?" Teo asked in amazement "Do you prefer tonight? Hurry up! "Sam said before heading to the reserve entrance. Being the peacemaker had its advantages: it had a new room all to itself in the palace. State-of-the-art technology and also the driver since sometimes his presence was required in faraway places and he was still without a license! Of course, there were also the downsides, such as living very close to Rose and always having a curfew to respect, but other than that, things were going great!

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Lunchtime had just passed. Shen had sat on a very tall tree branch. He could clearly see the walls in the distance, full of sentinels always on the alert that no birds were flying too high. The peacock avoided being alone, but sometimes he really needed it. He did not want because often, in moments like this, he thought about his past life. Her parents, Zahn, guess it. His dear nanny was out of town on that unfortunate day. Who knows if, as usual, he had seen what would happen ?! Sometimes he wondered if he used his divination skills even for less important things like ... The guess! Sure! Maybe ... maybe that's why his parents hadn't looked for him! Because, thanks to her, they knew that he would soon return home! It was said, since almost two years had passed since his kidnapping ... Or it was all his fantasy and his parents didn't care about him! Here, this was the negative side of being alone, the positive one was in the simple fact that he could reflect on what had happened in the last period. Sam had gained the trust of almost everyone, saving them from a wealthy businessman who wished to have them as ornaments and had proved very clever while studying the security flaws well and reporting them to them immediately afterwards. He had made peace with Gan and now the snakes were sneaking into the palace together with the mustelids to take pieces of iron, hammers, and similar objects for the purpose of forging swords. Fortunately, with the cold of winter, the new forge recently built for that purpose was not visible.

His bond with the brothers had grown. Although it was sometimes overwhelming to have to endure and argue with them, he couldn't deny that he was happy! Many things had changed and Shen couldn't help but notice that Kang and Lu-Chu were behaving very much as if they were his parents. Not in the sense that they looked like them, but did the things that a parent usually does. They took him up when he combined one of his with fireworks, talked to him when they saw that he needed it, but above all, they loved him and showed it openly. There were no real protocols to follow, if Lu-Chu wanted to embrace him, give him an affectionate caress or simply say "I love you!" he just did it. And Kang gave him the proud look Shen had always looked for in his father. But in addition to the beautiful things, a difficulty had arisen. The peacock had never pulled back in front of a challenge but this surpassed them all in all their aspects! If he was not suddenly mad he could say with absolute certainty that ... he was ... no ... indeed ... let's say that ... .tried a strange attraction towards Lang Min ... Whenever he remained dazed staring at his beauty, the warmth of his smile, the brightness of his eyes ... he tried to recover as quickly as possible to repeat that they couldn't stand each other, every conversation always resulted in a quarrel and any excuse was good to distract him! Apart from the flaws, his dear friend / rival was tenacious, strong, sensitive, selfless and intelligent, all excellent qualities for a wife! But in the end Shen laughed at the idiot and the circle started spinning again as soon as he looked back at her. She was the only one, indeed, one of the few to be "normal". Its bright colors made you think of Shen, the Indian peacocks, surely his parents must have come from that land, at least one of two because it was a characteristic of the birds of that country to have such bright colors. But this created another problem. If he had listened to his heart it would have been broken! Sometimes he had tried to woo some nobleman by being rejected as unattractive because of his dull colors. It would have been easier to court one of the white peacocks of the reserve ... A noise preceded the swaying of the tree and Shen had to cling to the vertical branch with the wings, as well as tighten the grip with the claws, to avoid falling.

"Sorry!" It was Deshi, clumsy as usual. As soon as he got off the tree, Shen realized that the bear was nowhere to be seen. Apparently he was just passing through! A chill wind passed through the trees, completely investing it and making it tremble. Shen cursed winter with its low temperatures and decided to return to his beloved branch, but as he was about to climb he heard a voice calling him "Shen! It's me! I brought a friend! His name is Teo and ... "Sam was unable to finish the introductions which he tripped over a hole in the ground. Looking up at the peacock, he couldn't realize where he was putting his feet ... The bird remained on the low branch it had reached and watched the newcomer. He had to be younger than Sam as he was also shorter and strangely felt he shouldn't be intimidated by his presence. Apparently confidence in Sam was increasing. "Teo, he's Shen. He can understand you, we are the ones who can never understand an accident when they talk! "The boy said while shaking happily. "Come on, I'll let you know the others too!" Sam said dragging his friend by the arm. Once they disappeared into the vegetation Shen sighed. Derek still hadn't found out anything, he just had to trust Sam and let him get help from those he thought trusted. Even though a new human joining their plan was a serious danger to all of them!

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Xu had started walking. Sam had shown up with a new friend and since he wasn't crazy about strangers he had decided to cut the rope. Sociable was not an adjective that could be used to describe it. Because of the particular mantle his childhood had been hell. Growing up in an orphanage he had always found himself in conflict with the other children who targeted him since he was alone. Once an adult he had decided to start working and make new friends, but everyone he met had always treated him as the last wheel of the cart. Maybe Derek had done him a favor by catching him. Thanks to him he had found real friends, not only Lei, Ji, Kuen, Guo, Hao, Ning, Kun, Qiao and many others, but finally he had found a place to call home. Maybe that was why he hated humans as well as himself, them for locking him up and himself because he was comfortable in there. But when Shen had arrived, everything had suddenly changed. That peacock had rekindled a dormant flame of his soul. Living free with his friends would have been even better, the culmination of happiness, the realization of his desires! In addition, the peacock had shown himself to be reckless, courageous and selfless, even if that side of himself made him see little. It was clear that he too had known the evil present in the world, reserved for those who were born different ... even if, at times, it was not even used to be treated worse than dung ... Xu was about thirty years old, ten had passed since his capture. He felt he had waited long enough. Once free he only hoped to be able to stay with his family because that was what he wanted. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a Mei who loudly called the peacock in question. "Hi!" He greeted her. "Hi, did you happen to see Shen?" Asked the excited cat. "No, why?" Xu asked, amazed by all that happiness. "You're gone, you can't know ... Sam wants to go into action next week, in exactly two days! Derek has left and will not return before a week ... "" Wait! But the day before yesterday he took Kun, Deshi, Qi, Hao, Lei, Syaoran, Bo and Zhen with him to catch other animals! We can't leave them and any new arrivals! "The panther interrupted her, voicing her concerns. "That boy is a lot smarter than I thought!" Said the feline "Explain yourself!" Xun said tired of having missed the exposure of such a brilliant idea. "Without Derek, humans will be disorganized and therefore easier to beat.

We could hide in the forest, as scheduled and also once Derek returns we free those he brings and we also understand what direction we must take to go home! "Mei explained in one breath. "The boy surprised me!" Admitted the feline "See! Come on now help me find Shen! "Mei said before running to say the peacock's name.

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Lei waved her tail nervously. Below them he could clearly see a large city. Fortunately, the white color of the two large airship balloons blended well with the clouds, but flying blindly through them had never thrilled her! Although there was nothing he could do to change direction since he was in a cage. The spoils had been taken. All adults once again. A melanic tiger named Shui who had shown a lot of strength and courage by moving them away from her family and acting as a bait herself once she realized she was the target. It is a pity that his brothers, including his parents and some inhabitants of the small village in which he lived, had reacted badly to his capture and ended up being killed by Derek's men. She had seen her flame die out at the sight of the people she loved lying on the ground lifeless and hoped, once in the reserve, to see her join them! Just to capture the first prey, humans did not use the power of the red ruby, for the other three, yes! By covering the cages with sheets they had prevented them from understanding where they were and once under the influence of the ruby they were no longer able to remember or reason with their own heads.

Fortunately, the cages were arranged in such a way that he could see the new occupants well. There was also a snowy owl named Piao. He was young and extremely frightened, probably his age was around that of the peacock twins. It was strange that he had been captured since he had nothing in particular, apart from the beautiful white plumage, but he was a snowy owl like many others ... He would have found a lot of company since there were already many owls in the reserve. In addition, as if they were not a few, another feline had been caught: an albino lynx named Niu. She was still fierce and expressed all her anger by blowing against any humans who dared get too close to her cage. "So your name is Nuwa!" Hao said to the bird. She nodded looking at Zhen with extreme curiosity "Have you ever seen an albino monitor?" He asked annoyed by this insistence. "No, and have you ever seen an albino harpy eagle?" She asked, not at all frightened by the bad mood of the reptile. "Never! But a normal albino eagle, yes! "Zhen replied with a satisfied look. "Really?" Nuwa asked curiously, as if the fact that she had just been caught and caged had suddenly become irrelevant. "Already. Once we get there I'll introduce you! "Zhen said before going to bed in the cage to rest. The implementation of the escape plan was imminent and the lizard wanted to be perfectly in force once he returned to the reserve, so as not to have problems if the others had decided to act while Derek was not at the base.

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Mei knocked hard on the door of Shen's house. She had been a fool not to think about it right away! That was the first place to check, but with a fuss like she had become the last! The smoke coming out of the fireplace indicated that the peacock was in the house, but after five minutes no response had come from inside. "Maybe he's in the lab!" Xu said looking through a window.

"He would have left someone on guard for the danger that some guard would make an extra patrol!" Mei replied before kicking the door and thus breaking the lock. He would pay for the damage simply by building a new one. The cat had spent a lot of time in her friend's house, as he had with her. He knew the layout of the rooms perfectly, so he immediately aimed for the bedroom. He knocked politely without waiting for an answer. Shen slept peacefully in bed. "What will he have done tonight to snore like this in the early afternoon?" Xu asked once he entered. Mei reflected on the pros and cons that would result from his next move ... ... for ten milliseconds, before shouting "Waaaake uuup!" With all the breath he had in his body, shaking the peacock energetically. The result he obtained was extremely disappointing given that a slight croak rose from Shen, but he did not wake up at all! Only later did Mei realize an alarming detail "It's hot!" He said touching his forehead after he sensed the heat under his paws as he shook it. "Is he sick?" Xu asked as he approached the peacock. "I think so!" Mei replied as she tucked the blankets over her friend as if to apologize for the treatment given him a few moments earlier. "I'm going to call Kang, maybe he knows what to do! In the meantime, stay with him! "Xu said, heading for the door to the room. "Wait up! What about the escape plan? "He asked disheartened Mei" With him in these conditions, I won't move from here! "The panther pointed out before going out. "Did you have to get sick right now?" The cat turned to the unconscious peacock angrily, aware that he could not answer. "I dare Lang Min to fall in love with you! Put the others before yourself, you are brave and loyal and infinite other things ... if you did not declare war every time you speak, you could be a splendid couple! "Mei said finally free to be able to say that truth that until that moment had been silent. Obviously it would have remained unheeded, but for the moment it was better this way! Love should not be rushed. Like a flower, it needed its time to bloom!


	24. Chapter 24

**THE FIRST STEP **

Two weeks had passed and the best escape ever had slipped between the paws of many. Shen had recovered and had no intention of giving up. They would have dealt cards face up against Derek. He intended to defeat him in an equal fight. Once ready, the various weapons were distributed. All the peacocks had received what they wanted, while many of the animals had decided to fight using Kung Fu. Rather than hurting a human it was better to stun him, it didn't rain on this, but not having the brute force and having to be on the front line, the peacocks had preferred to take their weapon and use it against the enemies without the intention of killing them or hurting them too much seriously. The hope was that, seeing their strength, without irreparable consequences, humans would decide to leave them free once they ran away. According to many, vain hope, thought also shared by Shen. With the arrival of the snow they were again segregated in the castle so, unconsciously, the humans started their plan! Just two weeks after their confinement, Gan, Mu, Zhu, Wen and Liang headed to the dungeons to free the escape passage from any guard who could raise the alarm by seeing them flee. Sam had indicated to them a point from which, without the guards, they could have passed unharmed. Once the first group started, the others moved immediately after. The spies had increased and in addition to the usual ones there was also the melanic rabbit Xun and a silver fox named Wan. The two females had the task of supervising the work of the mustelids and squirrels, intervening only in case of need since their size made them easily visible. Cong, Dishi, Ju, Genji and Cheung had spread out to place various firecrackers around the palace. Some were meant to distract humans, others, having greater explosive power, would have made some corridors impractical by giving them valuable time. The birds followed the first group into the dungeons, exiting, however, in pairs of two conscious that Derek observed them. As we do not know, but he was sure. Once out, they would have been the first to explore the area in search of any dangers.

Hua returned from the trap door and landed in front of Ning. He too, along with everyone in the dark, smelly room, made sure that humans thought he was still inside. The plan was elementary, but it seemed to have worked: it was an unusual time to sleep, but by stuffing the beds with pillows and going out wrapped in a big cloak, as if they wanted to warm up more because of the cold, they had managed to get out one after other. This technique had proven effective, but extremely slow. It was mid-morning and Shen hoped that by lunchtime they were all out, so that they could have many hours to reach the mountains where they would hide, without risking getting lost due to the dark. "Go ahead!" Hua said "Are you sure?" Ming asked terrified like many others. "There are no guards on the windows, are there?" Asked Bao, who as usual ate in an attempt to allay the anguish that was making him bowel. "No, we are in a Czech place, damn it! This is precisely why Wen and Liang chose this release! The first windows are on the fourth floor and there are no guards! "Hua replied exhausted by all that tension. The cattle, along with others, after a good ten minutes of afterthoughts, finally went out immediately hiding in the dense vegetation. Kang paced nervously back and forth in the room where they had gathered. For added security, they would wait for large animals to be safe before going out. Going all together would have been a big risk! But letting too much time pass from one group's departure to another was even more dangerous, but they knew they had to wait for the signal! All the cats, together with the peacocks, were still in the wing of the building reserved for them. The air was tense, not only because of fear, but there was also a hint of euphoria at the thought that soon they would be free! "Once out we could do what we want!" Guo said electrified "What are you going to do? I still don't know! "Kuen asked that he had decided to indulge his friend. Speaking was definitely a way to ease the tension. Shui, the melanic tiger decided to join the conversation "I will open a pastry shop in honor of my dear parents and my husband!" He said looking with melancholy eyes at the emptiness in front of him in remembering his family.

"Good for you!" Manchu said, crossing his arms over his chest "I don't know who I want to be yet!" The serval complained. "Life is not finding yourself. Life is creating yourself! "Said the Master approaching the felines. "Master, you make it even more complicated than it is!" Xu said amused by the confused faces of his friends at Jingjing's statement. That anteater always managed to hit everyone's nerves with positive implications! His wisdom was yes, tedious beyond imagination, but also very heartening and useful sometimes ... okay, always! Gan entered as if he should warn them that lunch was ready "There is snow outside!" Said the snake and everyone understood the signal. The first part of the plan had succeeded and no alarm had gone off yet. Now we had to wait for Sam.

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"The ancient Egyptians developed in depth a system for acquiring information, to the detriment of the Hittites after the Battle of Kadesh in 1296. Or ... the Phoenicians also used a vast network of military spies under the cover of merchants, present in every port of the Mediterranean Sea. They also operated in Rome, the capital of Italy, think a little! "Teo had gone mad since the plan was started! "The Assyrians were constantly informed of what was going on in Egypt thanks only to spies! Even the Ionian revolt against the Persians seems to have started through a secret message, according to the story of the historian Herodotus of Halicarnassus! "The boy continued while writing codes on codes, even faster than the computer could be able to type. "During the Peloponnese War both Athens and Sparta often made use of spies but it is during the reign of Alexander the Great, between the. 356 BC and 323 BC that espionage made a qualitative leap, as demonstrated by the suppression of the revolt of General Parmenion and his son ... " "Are you going to tell me the whole story until you get to the contemporary one !?" Sam asked angrily. "Sorry, I thought you might be interested in learning more about the culture of our ancestors!" Teo said disappointed by his friend's reaction.

"Ancestors?" Asked the confused boy. "We are spies, and although we have no blood ties with the first spies on earth, we owe them what we know so far about espionage!" Teo explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I have always hated this matter! So talking to me about the amazing adventures of "our ancestors" will not help me at all, neither for the piano, nor to ease the tension that I feel I am accumulating! "Sam said starting nervously to turn around a table. "Quiet, I will broadcast this video ..." Teo said showing the recording in question in which we could see poor people who made falls to say the least absurd and sometimes even very painful "... in a few minutes, so the whole surveillance system will temporarily go into tilti! "He finished explaining his friend. "Did you put the music boxes in the various rooms?" Teo asked, remembering only at that moment. "Sure! My cell phone is connected to one of them, as are yours! "Sam replied, selecting the recording of the verse of some animals on the smartphone. "It is fortunate that he did not throw away the old one! Now we have other elements of distraction! "Teo said crossing his legs waiting for the video to load. Hearing some music and with the cameras temporarily out of order, the guards would panic. Maybe at the beginning they would have thought of a failure, or that someone was trying to tamper with their systems, but Sam was hoping that even if elementary, the plan would work! Unfortunately he had not been able to ask the animals for advice, as it was better that they did not know such technology, so he had managed as best he could!

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"Sir, the guests have arrived," said Mrs. Carmela to her boss. Derek was in his office, intent on filling out documents on documents regarding supplies for both animals and his home. "Make them sit down! I'll be there soon! "Said the man, getting up from his chair and heading for his daughter's room. Rose was sprawled on the bed. Waiting for his beloved Caleb to arrive to go out together. It was fortunate that they didn't go to school on Saturday, so there was an extra day to have fun. All the euphoria faded as soon as she heard the door open and instead of finding her dear boyfriend she saw her father looking at her grimly. Another lecture had arrived. Not about his relationship, no! The parent didn't seem to care at all about his daughter's life, he only showed interest in its usefulness. "Rose ..." Derek started talking, wandering around the room not looking at her "... this situation will not last forever!" He said sternly. "Your friend Sam ..." "He is no longer my friend!" The girl screamed in a fit of anger. He had shown her not to be such when he decided to turn against her. Helping those flea clusters and ignoring how they broke her heart by using it at will! "... will not be able to keep peace for very long! He is unable to communicate with them and this represents a problem that over time could become too heavy to avoid some confrontation and as you know I want to avoid things like that! Losing even one animal would be a tragedy for our economy! "Derek said as if his daughter hadn't spoken. "What do you want me to do?" Rose asked, surrendering to her father's authority. "I know you won't forgive them, but pretend you are. Do this for a few more years and I promise to send you to study in Oxford, "said Derek, drawing his daughter's attention with a simple promise. Beatrice and Caleb dreamed of going to study there. He medicine and she literature. Rose still didn't know what she wanted to do, but there was still time to choose. "Why would you deprive me of my skills in the future, even if you had me by your side now? What's going on? "The girl asked wary. Her father sighed and she swore, even if only for a moment, that she could see a veil of fear in her parent's eyes. "A guard, probably driven by curiosity, did not respect the round of the patrol. What he saw ... worries me! "Derek said, remaining frozen as he informed his daughter of the serious situation looming on the horizon. "What?" Asked the certain daughter to know the answer. "The animals ... were fighting! But it wasn't a fight for the territory or for the females, the guard swears it was a workout! If true ... we would risk losing many lives if we let them continue! They are different from other animals and I am afraid I have underestimated them! "The father explained before leaving the room to go to the guests who were waiting for him. "Sir!" A guard said running towards Derek. "Not now!" Replied the man hurrying towards the large hall. "But sir!" Protested the poor guard "Not now!" Derek yelled before disappearing beyond a large door, slamming it in the face of that poor fellow sent to warn him of a problem with the various security systems. In a large room located on the first underground level, a group of people was busy checking the various shots of the security cameras. During such an important reception it was a priority to carefully supervise the situation to prevent anyone, armed with bad intentions, from hurting the guests or the great collector! More than once, madmen, or assassins, or animal rights activists had attempted to injure or even kill Derek or simply create unrest, and their job was to make sure that didn't happen! For a few minutes almost all the screens had started to give problems, as if there was a failure in the electrical system, they flashed like light bulbs. "Send guards to preside over the hall and others to put on the Collector's side! Someone is trying to tamper with the systems! "Said the second in command, as well as Derek's close friend. Then, out of nowhere, all the screens started to project a strange video which, if it hadn't been for that delicate situation, would have also made us laugh. "Sound the alarm!" Agent Smith said running out of the room.

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"Done! I think they can have a good laugh for ten minutes, too bad the video lasts longer! "Teo said slightly annoyed. "Well! I'm going to check the situation out! You stay here and as soon as one of the informal spies arrives that those who are left can go! "Sam said before leaving the door of the room. The boy had to make an enormous effort, once he arrived in the lounge, not to go to the buffet which sent out extremely inviting smells. This time was the time for the rich. People wearing clothes that were worth a fortune argued amiably among themselves. Some were foreigners, while others had already seen them. The rich nobles, after a first visit, returned several times in the company of relatives and friends in order to find an excuse to readmit the treasure of the famous "collector".

He saw guards positioned at each door and others who took up positions spreading around the hall. Matching the escape with a reception had been a brilliant idea! In this way, the guards would immediately concentrate on the guests as he had expected and as had actually happened, giving the animals time to get as far away from the building as possible. Apparently Derek had not yet been informed given the calm and confident expression on his face. Sam returned to his room and barely had time to greet the spies. "Boy, we can never thank you enough!" Dishi said shaking the young man's hand. Custom to say goodbye, learned during their stay at the castle. "And we could never repay the debt!" Cheung added. "But thanks to you we have changed our opinion on humans! Not everyone is evil! "Cong said" This also applies in our world, I think! "Ju said, looking out the entrance of the air duct. "You know he doesn't understand a single word of what you say, do you?" Genji asked barely holding back the laughter at the lost expression on the boy's face. "Goodbye friends! I wish you luck! "Sam said before seeing them disappear through the pipes. "If this plan goes through and we don't see them again, we should seriously consider becoming real spies in the future!" Teo said as he opened a packet of potato chips. The friend just couldn't relax. Derek wouldn't have given up even after seeing them escape! This was only the beginning!

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"Cheung, I was starting to believe you wanted to stay here!" Gan said to the squirrel who had just come out of a large pipe. "We have to hurry!" Mu replied frightened. "Those idiots think he's one of the guests who set up their surveillance system! They do not suspect us in the least! Just think that ... "" Don't say it! "Cong said interrupting Dishi" But I am the same! "Protested the squirrel" It doesn't rain on this! "Ju replied. "Come on, hurry up!" Genji said pointing to the last peacock tails that disappeared beyond the door.

"In the end our training didn't help!" Sheng complained as they headed towards the exit "What do you mean?" Shen asked confused. "Not having fought the chance to play" Guess who I am? "It didn't show up!" Xian replied approaching the brothers. "You joke about it, but when I try hard I can't tell them apart!" Xing said that she didn't seem upset at all, but only amused. It was the older peacocks who insisted on avoiding fighting and as most animals took each word they uttered a lot of consideration, Shen found himself forced to change the initial plan. "Maybe once out of a fight it will be inevitable!" Said Lien, Juan's girlfriend. "What do you mean?" Asked Dong, the opal peacock. "Derek won't give up so easily!" Chao explained. "We can only hope that in the end someone really manages to escape!" Wei said while helping some young peacocks to go down an extremely slippery high step. Tai and Kang came shortly thereafter. "Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, Mr. Chao!" Said the Master, descending with much more agility than his slender structure showed. "And Shen, despite his young age, is familiar with such operations!" He finished explaining the anteater. In the meantime, the rest began to emerge from the large trap door, divided into small groups at intervals of time. With three or four peacocks there were one or two felines for greater safety against possible dangers. Shu was nervous and made it clear that she wanted to stay by Shen's side, as did Mei and Xu. "By the way ..." Feng began to speak "... how do you know the fireworks if you're just a humble mercenary? Isn't that a kind of knowledge belonging to the social class of nobles? "He asked with an inquiring look. Shen felt freezing from the tip of his tail to that of his beak. How did they know about such things if they had lived all their lives in the reserve?

"Guo told us about a noble family of peacocks who seem to have invented the fireworks. How did you manage to ... seize ... their ... secret? "Kueng asked frightened, arriving at the realization that perhaps he had stolen it! It was even worse to wonder ... how? "_Could it be worse than that?_" Shen wondered mentally, unable to find an immediate answer and probably increasing the suspicions that had already arisen! A metallic noise diverted the general attention from the young peacock and made everyone turn towards a metal container that had fallen between them. "What did you hit this time?" Yong asked angry to his brother Hong. "Nothing, I swear! ... maybe the fault, for once, is yours!" The poor man attacked him. "Is it ... catching on fire?" Chu asked, seeing smoke coming out of the container. Shen felt the back feathers rise in alarm! Something was wrong! He had suspected it since he had not seen any birds coming to meet them on the way out and now this was the confirmation! The burning fire releases a smoke with a particular smell and black color, while this was white and had a strange smell ... different. He couldn't think of what reminded him that everything went black!


	25. Chapter 25

**ESCAPE**

Pei snorted loudly as he leaned against a large tree. "Something must have happened!" Kun said from above a tree. The gorilla was looking for the slightest movement in the tree branches to see if he could spot any of the birds, but simply, he couldn't. Hua said they hid near a lake, but there was no sign of them. Also, the last time they saw her she was headed to the castle exit to drive out the last group ... her disappearance along with the other birds could not be a coincidence with the fact that peacocks there was still no trace! Qi heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Chong and Ting running towards them. "Once it's all over, don't get involved in operations like this anymore! The stress is far too much! "Bao said rummaging in a bag full of food, looking for a gustatory comfort. "Only the three of us and a few other cats managed to escape! The humans ambushed us near the escape route! Those who were out or just left have been recaptured! "Feng explained heartily. "How did Derek react so quickly?" Ning asked more of himself than others. "Hurry? I remind you that the first group came out hours ago! With all the guards he has, it's odd that he only noticed now! "Wan said that she had just emerged from a bush followed closely by Xun. "We will find a way to free them!" Pei said, not at all convinced. "How?" Ting asked, on the verge of tears both because of the concern and the fear he felt. "Pei is right! But now we have to hide, otherwise we risk taking them back too! "Deshi said showing a clear mind despite the seriousness of the situation. "Where are the other cats you mentioned?" Wing asked looking around. "We parted on the run! We have taken completely different paths, but only to force humans to divide! "Feng replied. "Then we have to move!" Ming said "You are too big to go unnoticed and once identified it would be difficult to lose our tracks" said the deer setting off. He understood that everyone agreed when they followed him without making a fuss. They had been walking for several minutes when a thud followed by a growl made many turn towards a large bush and Lei revealed herself.

"Damn dogs! ... "He said, looking over his shoulder, then turning to his friends" Thanks for waiting for me, you are very selfless! I inform you that Mei and many others have been ... "" ... recaptured! "Xun said interrupting the cat" ... we are the only ones who managed to escape! "Wan explained. "What do we do?" Lei asked more out of curiosity than out of concern. "I don't know!" Xun admitted "We decided to hide! Once we find a safe place and reorganize ourselves, we will act to free those who have fallen before the power of humans! "Wei said making his way through the thick vegetation.

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As soon as he regained consciousness Shen heard a continuous jingle and also quite annoying. With difficulty he got to his feet and after stretching he realized he was in the dungeons. In addition to the bitter cold, a current of cold air ventilated those immense caves more than necessary and when the peacock tried to head towards the door of his cell he felt a force holding him back. Shen saw that he had a chain put on both legs! "I'm cold!" The peacock jumped two meters only to see Mei on his left who was curled up under a light linen blanket. On the opposite side was Sheng, still unconscious. Pulling with all his strength, Shen managed to move the heavy iron ball, to which the chain was attached, enough to allow him to look out of his cell. Shu, Xu, Guo and many others occupied numerous cells carved in stone, so that digging could not be a viable option to try to escape!

Voices brought him back inside and lay down on a large pile of straw in his prison. "We have been looking for them for more than twelve hours! They'll already have gone who knows where! "Said a human. "I do not care! Derek left and instructed us to monitor the situation below! "Replied the other. "Yes, but I'm bored! It would have been much better if the boss had taken us with him! I hate to be warned of these sacks of fleas! "Said the first. "Do birds ... have fleas?" Asked his friend puzzled "They are animals, that is, they do not wash, that is ... they will also have worse things than fleas!" Said the first. "Like?" Asked the other "The worms ...?" Replied the first uncertainly. The already surreal conversation became even more so when they started talking about the "vegetarian feline" species, since they could not explain how mammals had done, to live so long alongside lethal predators like tigers and be still alive! Shen decided to ignore them. He knew well that Derek would not forgive them and perhaps they would be forever imprisoned in those cold and dark prisons. This was a big problem for his escape plans, especially since many weapons had remained hidden in his secret laboratory for the simple reason that, the escape plan, presented no problem regarding any battles with humans. And now, reaching them seemed impossible! He hoped that someone from the first group and that of the cattle had managed to escape, so his failure would not have been completely a disaster! And he prayed that they wouldn't try to free them because humans were more alert than ever before! They had to find a way to communicate with Sam, although he was sure that Derek would send him to talk to them, since his role in the last period had been essential to keep the collector calm and cover their actions! Shen got up abruptly when he heard a scream of pain echo in the immensity of that basement. Passing his neck through the bars he saw, not far away, the two guards who beat the poor Dishi, unable to escape because he too in chains! A primitive fury made him twist his bowels and after taking a few steps back, launching a sharp peacock scream, Shen crashed into the bars. He was not their Prince, but he would not let those dirty, insensitive and cruel humans hurt them! He had never acted for the sake of his people, but only to repair the wrong done to his person.

By bandits who often attacked his life, only to take advantage of his death thanks to the coins that would have fallen in rivers from the one who had hired them. For the first time he acted for the common good, as a good ruler should always do! And unfortunately for him, he discovered that it hurt terribly! The guards brought their attention to him and decided to lower the crest in the worst way. Despite the presence of Mei's almost constant roar, the humans did not back down and beat him until he lost consciousness!

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Teo hadn't seemed very scared or disappointed, but things aren't always as they appear! Maybe now he was in his room crying bitter tears! Just like him right now! Sam wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. He had been imprisoned in his room and was forced to go out only to go to school, until his father decided otherwise! But it wasn't the palace room! No! It would have been ... slightly better, so to speak ... He was in his old house not a little, but for him too far from the reserve! Derek had discovered them and inflicted severe punishment on their parents. Unknown punishment, the effect of which, however, had repercussions on them and being a minor, Sam could not do much to be able to even try to rebel ... The boy continued to hope that the collector did not take too much of his friends. Moreover, he had been looking for news in the newspaper for that sudden escape for at least an hour, with no results ... maybe Derek wanted at all costs to prevent such news from spreading, with inevitable lethal effects for his fame! It was the early afternoon of the day following the start of the plan.

Maybe someone had managed to escape. Maybe they had all been recaptured already. Perhaps the collector had killed some of them in an attempt to put him back behind bars. Maybe Hannah was now on her father's side to be able to take revenge for being used ... Okay, this last point was very unlikely since she wasn't for nothing vindictive, but the others continued to worry and make the young man think that because of this, he had not paid the slightest attention to the school homework for the next day, perfectly and strategically placed on the desk on which he was half lying down. Sam understood that they hadn't said anything to her for fear of hurting her, but in doing so they had inflicted a far worse wound on her. Often one acts by thinking of doing the right thing, inevitably making a mistake ... Like him, who during his first visit to the reserve, had run away thinking that leaving this place he feared so much was the right thing to do, finding himself in much worse trouble once lost!

The boy had a brilliant idea! He took pen and paper and started writing: 1. Being able to talk to Rose. 2. Make peace with your ex best friend. 3. Get her to run the animals away. 4. Through her communicate with animals. 5. Think of a second escape plan trying to act as a team. ... Instead of standing still on the sidelines, watching as openly as he and Teo had done since the beginning. Perhaps, if they had asked the animals for advice regarding the bait that was to distract the surveillance, they would certainly have thought of something better ... sure, if he really had to say it all ... .. if he had been able to understand what they said, instead of the many verses he heard every time, then the plan would have been even better than that devised by a professional secret agent!

And perhaps he would have learned of the existence of firecrackers and small bombs placed by the animals inside the castle that had done nothing but sound the alarm instead of acting as an element of distraction as those fools must have thought. Sam folded the sheet and put it in his pocket. He was stubborn, a dowry shared with Rose, and they would not be put off by an initial failure!

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"_I'm out of the lelelele tunnel, Of fun I'm out of the lelelele tunnel Of fun When I leave the house and get bored I'm really happy When I leave the house and get bored I am much happier _" There was nothing to do! When she was stressed, she started listening to music continuously! Caparezza, jovanotti, Baby K, David Guetta ... he didn't have a favorite genre, so the album reproduced completely different songs, one after the other! Rose could swear she had never seen her father so furious! Luckily she wasn't the only one to be terrified of it! And double luck that he immediately left in search of those who were still missing from the appeal, so he would let off steam with the poor people forced to follow him and put up with his anger! "_The two most important days of life are the day you were born and the day you find out why!_" That sentence haunted her since she received the news of the animal escape! He had continued to persecute her even when he tried to forget the life he led before, when he was completely dependent on animals, but now ... finally, perhaps, he had understood the true meaning!

His special gift was no accident! There was no chance, everything happened for a certain reason, it was the Master who had told him! It was she who could have done a right thing. For good this time! Don't just keep them together and in a cage! There is a moment to understand what is the right thing to do, and another to find the courage to do it! He had to have the courage to say no, to face the truth! She had supported her father by caging other animals using his good heart as an excuse that prevented her from separating families! It was normal for her, her father had kept her imprisoned all her life, preventing her from having a childhood like the one every child should have! But it was all wrong! NO! She would have opposed the tyranny of an absent father! To its rules! He had looked for things he already owned and whose full meaning he hadn't understood until now! The affectionate and proud father he had always wanted was Kang, friends, brothers, all of them, were his family! They hadn't betrayed her by silencing their intentions, they just wanted to prepare her to say something like that trying not to be too brusque! Kang had always been concerned with downplaying his father's irresponsible and bad behavior and was doing the same thing, reflecting on how and when to reveal such a decision to her! It was only because of his pride that their relationship had been severed! It was his fault! It would have remedied! Rose possessed the complete trust of his father. Extraordinary event! So it was not difficult to head to the attic without being stopped or followed in any way. If he really wanted to run away then he would take a picture of his mother with him. In that immense, dusty and dark room, he kept several. Concealed as the most precious of treasures. It looked a lot like her! Rose took a photo of her mother and observed her coppery and wavy hair identical to hers, her small pointed nose and smile, all characteristics perfectly inherited from her!

Her father had married her only for the money she would inherit from her family thanks to such a union. A wedding without love. A family without love. At least he had nothing to regret once you turn your back on the parent! Rose rummaged in a large crate in search of other hidden treasures represented by photos that perhaps had escaped her watchful eye in four years, but found nothing. Fortuna! Or maybe not! Attention shifted to his mother's name engraved on a red booklet. "Isabella". How had he not noticed it before? Once opened he saw some of his photos ... yes, he recognized himself in the infant in his mother's lap! It was her! But how was that possible? She had died in childbirth! How could he hold her in that image if he was no longer alive when ... A drop fell on the image blackened by dust and Rose realized that it was her tear. She had lied to him! Although for a short time, he had known maternal love! But this posed other questions: what had happened to his mother? Was she still alive? How long had they spent together? Leafing through the book, he could read small captions next to each image "The first smile, the Sunday dress, a relaxing moment ..." A sheet fell to the ground as soon as the pages moved away from each other allowing it to slide out. Rose took it and opened it. He felt short of breath as soon as he read "_To my Rose ..."_. Anger added to the pain of such a discovery. Why had her father kept so many things from her? He tried to avoid such thoughts and began to read:

_"To my Rose, My beloved daughter, the one behind this pen is Isabelle, your mother. I am aware that when you read this letter of mine you will be by now big and I wish you all best wishes for your eighteen years! I am sure that your father will never make you miss anything and will love you both ... "_ Maybe, mom, maybe. _"... so that I can make you feel the love that I will never be able to share with you! We could not talk about the first courses, I will not be there when you have to choose how to dress for an important evening, or to listen to your fears and give you comfort, but know that you will always be in my heart and I will do my best to support you also from up there!_

_Now you are a woman, make your voice heard, follow your passions, and never let someone make you think you are worth less than what you are really worth! You are already strong now that you are just two months old and you always will be! Stay close to your father John, stubborn as he is, will never admit to missing me, even if he's right ... _" OK it's good! Surely the recipient was someone else! Who the hell was John? _"... I will always be next to you and my love will never die! If Derek still makes your life difficult, I ask forgiveness, both of you! I was a fool to think it could change! But sometimes the desire to hear approval from one's parents cloud the mind and make nonsense! Rose, beloved daughter, say yes to an extraordinary life! Remember that extraordinary people were not born extraordinary but I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary! Who said that life must be sacrifice? It is not so! I chose love for this and would do it a thousand times if it were necessary! Being able to be with your father instead of with Derek's selfish is to live life fully! Now, because of that man, I will not be able to see you grow and become the most beautiful and shining star in the sky, but I am sure that like me, you will sculpt your way in the world! Remember, we make choices dictated by events, by our fears, by our instincts ... or we make them rationally. I want you to make your choices, never regretting their nature. Beautiful, just as they are, never worry about yourself because your happiness and your esteem for yourself will depend on them. Many times life puts us in front of situations in which choosing what we consider "right" is really difficult, but the "right" is always what we feel like doing. Sometimes the people you love and love, will turn out to be different from how you believed them, you will see them change ... but things change to live, my love ... and live to change, it is their nature! Sometimes these changes will upset you, as they have troubled me. And it is at that moment that you have to choose. I will continue to live in you and my spirit will always be with you even if you can never see me!_

_Think with your head and always smile, please, as you will surely be doing now! _

_I love you more than anything else._

_With love, Isabelle "_

There were far too many news to assimilate all at once! Rose was definitely dazed! How could it be? Then a "human" father who loved her was there! What the hell had happened? The girl was aware that to such questions, the answers would come with time, so she concentrated on the present. He had made his choice! He would have done the right thing by helping the animals to find their lost freedom!


	26. Chapter 26

**BITTER TRUTH**

The doors opened with a deafening roar. Rose was at the top of the stairs and saw coming in... collector!

Yes, for now, he'd call it "Good morning father!" Mentally, at least until the truth has been clear!

"It's not a good day! Animals of a ton manage to hide like ants! And just because the men in my entourage are incapable!... Take the infrared camera, the sooner we catch them the better!" He said Derek screamed like a rag.

"You..." screamed at her daughter." go to the dungeons and make sure the animals are okay until I decide to put them back in the reserve!" His father said as he turned to get out. "They're going to stay..." he tried to ask Rose, only to be abruptly interrupted.. "They are too precious for them to die of cold in the dungeons! Lucky for them, because they won't get away with it! They will understand that defying my authority has nefarious consequences!" The collector said before he came out, almost running, out of the door.

Once he disappeared, the girl wasted no time and made her way to the dungeons.

From an early age she had feared those dark and cold places and had to admit that they still had a little fear, but if she wanted to maintain the relationship of trust with the collector, it was better to be seen obedient and submissive.

Once she arrived in front of a cell, she made her way closer and found herself retreating, frightened by a not at all cozy hiss.

"Tai! It's me, Rose!" He said he realized his close friend was wounded on a wing. "What happened to you?" She asked worriedly to trigger the lock and enter to medicate the numerous wounds on the bird's body. Being the collector's daughter had its advantages!

"The guards..." answered him before coughing. "Now I'm going throw them for the holidays!" She said the girl realized she absolutely had to call a vet. He took a wet towel and passed it as gently as possible on the visible wounds.

The peacock looked at her surprised and she reciprocated her gaze.

"Why do you want to help us?" Tai asked, "Why shouldn't I?" She asked, "I've always told you that you don't answer questions with other questions!" The amused peacock said, "Apparently I didn't learn my lesson!" She pointed it out.

"Rose... forgive us if we have been silent on your plans for so long... were just a pale illusion for something that doesn't exist!" Tai said as she sat sore on her bedding formed by some smelly blankets piled together.

"All right, you must have banged your head hard since you're saying nonsense!" She said, "We will no longer indre on frivolous dreams. Forgive us if we used you to get information for a getaway. It won't happen again, I promise!" He continued the peacock as he steeled on himself.

"Dreams tell us who we are! It took me so long to figure it out! You understood it! You didn't use me, but it showed the real reason I'm in the world: help you escape!" Rose said, stroking the peacock's long neck.

"Not... are you more angry?" He asked tai surprised by the girl's unexpected reaction.

"No. You're my family! As offensive as I may be, I could never hate you! You gave me everything... it's time to reciprocate!" She said before leaving the cell, "I'm going to send a doctor. Now I'm going to look for Kang and Shen and everyone else because I have to inform them of my decision!" She visibly excitedly explained the girl, before running deeper into that immense cave, towards her new goal.

He would have done it for his mother. She had acted against Derek and lost, it was time to even the score!

He would have made his empire collapse before his eyes without him being able to do anything!

Without losing sight of the main goal, that is to find out as much as possible about his past, even if he hoped little. Derek was a Master in completely erasing the existence of animals captured from the minds of anyone who crossed their fate. If by intimidation or directly eliminating the problem, no one would ever look for even one of his precious treasures!

So there was little hope of finding out more about her real family, but she wouldn't give up!

The next day at school, she would apologize to Sam, hoping that he would decide to join her again, both as a friend and as an ally. Even his friends, namely Beatrice and Caleb, almost ex-boyfriend since he was becoming an unbearable I know everything myself!

They could have become part of the team! And maybe even the little genius who had recruited Sam, but since he didn't know him and didn't trust strangers, that wasn't a certainty yet!

In short, the agenda was full and for the first time in his life, the goal was clear on the horizon!

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Shen awoke with a start, as if he had just made a terrible nightmare.

The agony he sensed came from every inch of his body forced him to slump on the straw. He became immobilized when he felt a presence next to him.

The doctor... or vet, as they called him, was treating him with cuts on his thigh. He had only seen it once, but once he knew who he was, he had not forgotten it. He decided to endure only because he wanted to heal as fast as possible to try to escape again!

Even if the wounded pride burned more than the wounds inflicted on him, Shen decided to put all the escape plans in front of him, especially since with the Master, a vengeance would be almost impossible...

"They all need treatment. The most serious is the green peacock with the broken wing, but the others, with the right antibiotics, should recover in twenty days!" He said the doctor addressed a mysterious, remarkably low figure, who concealed his appearance with a cloak pulled up above his head.

The stranger nodded and entered Shen's cell.

The peacock would have attacked him if he had been in force, but at the time, he felt he could not move even a muscle and taking a look around he saw that his neighbors were also in the same condition. Mei on one side and Hua on the other.

"Hello Shen..." began to speak the intruder... who had something familiar!

"Rose?" He asked Shen while lying down "Yes!" She answered by taking off her cloak. "What are you doing here?" He asked i look at the peacock "I made my choice! The only one I wouldn't regret!" She said. Shen peered down at her and at the end of that study she explained, "I'm going to help you get away!" He confessed to her.

"Why?" He always suspiciously asked him, "Because you are my family! I made a mistake with you and I want to make it right!" Rose said.

"But... your father..." "He's not my father!" She screamed the angry girl just to scare the rumble that was there for the whole cave.

Did you fight? He asked Shen. It would have been much easier to clear things up if the relationship with the father had returned as ever!

"No!" She said, "No, he's not my father" she Repeats, "I understood that! But why did you choose to cheat on him like that? You Weren't in the process of seeking your approval?" He asked sarcastic voice the peacock.

He was being a real rat, but he couldn't do anything about it! The last words that you had made him burn again as salt on an open wound!

"Can't you hear? He's not my real father! He kidnapped me from my home, so betrayal is the price he has to pay for what he did to me!" He answered the girl with unnatural tranquility.

All right! No, wait! What? Now it was Shen that was shocked!

Rose could not hold back a sips in front of the peacock's bewildered face.

Shen had a slightly open beak and one eyebrows higher than the other, his head was tilted to one side, and his eyes transpired.

The peacock recovered quite quickly and after looking around he said , "Do you know who I am?" He cautiously asked, "Yes!" He admitted the girl "Were you there?" He asked Shen, "Where and when?" She asked, "In the city of Gong Ming inside the Tower of the Sacred Flame!" He said, "Yes! Fa and I know who you really are. But i've been asking you for a long time, why did you tell everyone you were a mercenary?" Rose asked happy to take away this doubt.

"If Derek..." Shen began to answer to stop suddenly. He was going to say, "_If Derek had found out who I really was, he could have used me to blackmail my parents..._" but if Rose knew it then maybe...

"... does your father know who I am?" He asked alarmedly, "No! I mean, you drank your story! If I had told him that you are the Prince of Gong Men he would surely have razed the city, to make sure that no one would try to find you or free you in the future," she replied.

"No? Then why did your father threaten my parents to catch me?" Suspiciously asked the peacock "He threatened the rulers of that city, we did not think I was their son and heir! He was sure to force you into obedience, but this kinship of yours discovered it, sharing it with me, but I didn't do the same with the collector," Rose explained.

"Why didn't you tell the others?" Asked Shen not yet convinced "Why didn't you? It wasn't me who was supposed to talk about you, it was you! I respected your choice! My father... the collector never treated me with respect, but he educated me properly!" Rose said, piqued in pride.

"It was better than I thought! Of course, being treated like a commoner turned my life upside down, but I really started to live. No kind of privilege and no one who felt compelled to bring me respect! I have discovered that I can be a guide and a sincere friend even without my title and i honestly do not think I want to go back to life before once out!" He confessed to the peacock, "In addition, a Prince begs, threatens him, shows reverence or fear, and lies to him! I wanted to escape from the beginning, pretending to be a mercenary was the best solution in order to win the true and sincere trust of others!"

"I'd like to see you as Prince!" Rose said. Shen looked at her confused "Intimidating and regal! Everyone who lowers their heads when you pass! That's crazy!" Said the girl with dreamy eyes. The peacock looked up at the sky, sometimes he forgot that the girl was only fourteen years old.

Thank you! Said Shen at the end. For what? She asked for lost.

"You kept the secret to my true identity and you saved countless lives" He explained the peacock. From the beginning he had despised her, but now she could see who she was. Brave, strong and loyal, perhaps, besides a valuable ally, could also become a friend... perhaps.

Not all humans were ruthless and cruel and Rose and Sam were confirmed!

The girl seemed to make the extent of her actions and smiled at that moment.

This time we'll be united and together we ll get out of here! He said Rose before she ran out of the cell almost jumping out of joy.

"You're not going to trust her, right?" A voice made the peacock real. Hua was awake! LWhy not? She's a prisoner just like us!" He answered Shen.

"He turned our backs on us once! He'll do it again! " Says the owl. "We'll see! He must win his trust and demonstrate good capacity for having it in the future." He replied the peacock. Right after he decided to tastel the ground, "Did you hear the conversation?" He asked for concern "No, just his final exclamation. And I didn't like it at all!" He answered Hua.

Shen threw a small sigh of relief. He didn't know when he was going to tell the truth, but he was aware that the moment present wasn't the best.

But the new attitude of Hua made him realize that such action by humans had undermined many. That was a problem. They had to work together to get the plan to work! Eventually decided to reflect on these problems once he was able to implement the plan instead of a malicious as he was at the moment!

"Now repossessing! First we heal from the wounds, the sooner we get out of this prison" Shen said putting his head under the wing.

"Are you still going to try and escape?" Hua asked the outdated "From bankruptcies to be lecturing and next time we will not be unprepared in front of the guards!" The peacock answered before he fell asleep.

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The collector was out and probably would stay there until he had taken it until the last escaped animal. It was about his reputation, although Rose could bet that such news would never be leaked to the ears of the reserve's wealthy visitors. Fear and distrust were insidious and they did not go away as easily as they came!

The euphoria of a few moments before all went away as soon as Rose set foot in his father's studio. Kang had welcomed her with his arms... open wings showing her how much she loved her and had been like a tender caress on her wounded heart.

She still hadn't even mentioned the escape plans, but the girl was sure that in the conditions in which the animals were at the time, they could not even think of running away! A smile crossed her face as she thought of her father's wrath at the guards as soon as he found out what they had done!

Even just ruining the goods would have sent the collector into a frenzy, little but safe!

The problem was that she trembled with fear at the thought of what "le" would do! It was true that the guards had brutally beaten and tortured the animals before they were put under her responsibility, but Rose was certain that her father would be angry with her even so that he could vent his frustrations. It had always been like this and it would never change! He could only hope that he could catch some animals, so as to dilute, even a small, his wrath...

More than once he had tried to imitate his father's harsh character. The big voice, the eyes full of anger and security, but above all, frosty as the ice age of millions of years before!

Unfortunately it had not worked and his lecture had been greeted with a shrug by the guards, so he would have thought about putting them back in line!

In her heart, the girl hoped that the collector would be able to take back all the animals that had escaped, so that they could come up with a good plan all together! Searching for those who had managed to escape would put them in further danger as well as delaying their actual departure from the human world!

In addition, the higher their number, the more likely they were to stand up to the large number of guards in the palace and reserve.

Thinking about the present and not the future and impending satisfactions, Rose turned on her father's computer and began to browse through the various documents.

He had decided to look in the most unlikely place sure that he had left any trace. Who would have dared to touch his computer? Your daughter! Or rather, the girl he kidnapped!

Associated with her name were numerous videos of her in the company of animals, surveillance recordings or videos she had made when the "zero technology" rule did not yet exist. Lucky the animals didn't ask questions about the strange objects he was carrying with them!

The flash of genius came to her when she typed "Isabella" on the keyboard.

Few photos appeared on the screen revealing a disappointment since many were the ones she owned...

She tried to try everything and went to the e-mail folder and once she typed her mother's name many emails appeared in front of her.

As he read, letter after letter, he felt the terror gripping it and the anger piling up, like a volcano preparing to erupt!

That computer was showing her a horrible truth!


	27. Chapter 27

**DOUBTS**

Days passed, becoming weeks.

Shen was sure that Ning and the others were hiding in a nearby place rather than having left and gone very far... For a simple reason...

Rose had informed them of the large number of guards present for at least five kilometers along the perimeter of the castle because of which no one could roam freely, not even humans!

It was by no means the right time to attempt to escape, especially since the overall morale was not the best.

Apart from the peacocks, the other animals had come out very shaken by this experience!

Hostility towards humans had reached very high levels, and not even Kang could temper that growing anger!

It was winter, it was cold and that year the snow had returned, albeit a little late compared to the few times it had arrived.

The icy wind penetrated the cave and the humidity made the whole situation worse.

During the first days of January Rose had been concerned about having blankets for everyone, as well as insisting with her father that they be put back in the wing of the palace used for them. Apparently the collector wanted to keep them in those cold, smelly dungeons as possible, perhaps as punishment. But when, in the end, after a few days one of the albino peacocks became ill, they were finally brought back inside the castle, that is, to the surface, not among its foundations.

Shen was worried, not for himself, but for the obvious blurring of any chance of escaping. The guard had been doubled and now everyone was wearing collars with rubies so that Derek could submit them to his will even by force!

He was wrong! He had trusted that the diversion worked, without bearing in mind that there was any chance of something going wrong, deep down there was, and that was the main reason why, for humans, it had been so easy to capture them.

"Those who have never made a mistake have never experienced anything new!" the Master had told him wisely, but this was not enough to astound his anger. It would take months, if not years, for the situation to improve to allow them another attempt. It had already been difficult when humans didn't suspect anything, now it seemed really impossible!

Meanwhile Kang and Tai were very concerned about the escaped animals. With such cold temperatures and the storm raging for days it was amazing to say the least if someone had survived without adequate shelter!

Their prayers were heard when the long-awaited news came one morning.

The weather had improved by allowing the airship to take flight and thanks to good visibility Derek was able to locate Wan, whose mantle stood out among the snow-covered white plains. It was enough to follow her to find the others too!

So, finally, after more than two months, all the animals were caught again.

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They had been locked up in the rooms. Too small to accommodate all of them. The peacocks found themselves huddled next to each other, and this only increased the tension already present.

Jun had a high fever and had been transferred to another area, cared for by humans... a problem! Even though Rose kept reassuring them that he was okay, few could believe her!

"They've arrived!" Dishi's voice made everyone turn to him,"I'm not in full shape, but they're doing pretty well!" He informed them of the ferret, referring to Derek and his precious cargo.

It was frustrating to have to speak on each other and divided, with the interlocutor, by iron bars, but since there was no alternative Shen and the others adapted.

"You have no idea! It seemed that the blizzard wanted to erase our tracks and help us escape, but at the same time obliged us to stay hidden preventing us from a possible escape! Nature that contradicts itself! Incredible!" Deshi said as he was busy licking a honey soup paw.

"We discovered a flaw in the plan at our expense!" "Food?" said Wan, peeping from the bear's legs. Cheng asked extremely sure that he had answered well. "That's right!" Replied Bao who, probably, had been the one who had suffered the most from the lack of stocks.

"Winter escape wasn't a great idea apparently!" Tai said that because of his height, he could see others and make himself heard despite the fact that he was behind many of the young peacocks.

"Bad! The water was not lacking, but we could not resist the humans precisely because we were exhausted!" Pei said as he stuffed himself with apples.

Since the last fugitives had returned, despite the lack of space, a good side had been the one concerning the daily ration that had doubled! Surely it was to allow those who had returned to recover, but everyone, no one excluded, could eat to satiety and at least this helped to lighten the tension!

"Shen... I have to say you made a really nice plan!" Pei said with obvious sarcasm. "And I must point out that you and everyone else did not protest when he proposed to implement it in the middle of winter!" Lang Min said he's tired of everyone picking on him.

"Indeed... we haven't even thought about such an eventuality! There is no point in continuing to blame him for our mistakes!" Wei observed. Shen sighed as far as possible from the bars at the door and from which everyone was facing.

"We hurt without touching, we can tell truths or lies and we must never be judged for our size! What.." Sheng was interrupted by an Xian alteration who screamed at him a "Shut up!" Ending the debate.

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After just two and a half months, animals were released on the Reserve.

Everyone, no one ruled out, had suffered much for that forced segregation, which is why they were replaced on the reservation so early.

The snow was still there, but the temperatures were bearable.

"We have to leave as soon as possible!" Said Xu while he was stretching "You really think there's a chance for us?" Lei skeptically asked.

"Of course it is!" He insisted "On the panty unless everyone demoralizes! Nothing Is impossible and if we die in the effort then it will! I'd rather perish than live a caged life!" Xu said "my hero... you were late! Many people are opposed to making another attempt! " Ji explained, "And I am one of them!" Said Xia trying to do not sink into the fresh snow by walking in tentons so that we can identify the most solid layers.

Zhong and Jie were reached shortly afterwards. In contrast to the situation, between them, at that time, the love was blossomed and about two months ago. He was a melanic leopard while she was a jaguar, but this difference of species did not seem to affect the two lovers.

Mei watched the group from a distance and ran in the direction of Lang Min. New loves had blossomed, but not the ones she hoped for.

Unfortunately, the situation was complicated: Lang Min was in love with Shen and would put her tail on the fire that Shen also felt something for the female peacock.

Yes, he had seen it in his eyes! Having spent a lot of time with the aforementioned peacock, he knew him well by now!

Since the escape plan had failed, another goal had been put in his head: get them put together!

The fundamental problem was that... had no idea how to do it!

Telling them all wasn't really the case, but getting them back together on their own seemed even more difficult since they avoided each other, probably for the same reason!

The peacocks were complicated! If they got together it was for life, romantic, but if one of them had died the other would follow him soon after... but not even finding a soul mate was easy!

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It was the big day! Finally Rose, after a punishment she didn't think could end, would go back to school!

Her father was angry with her when he protested about the idea of reexcluding animals in small rooms, piled on each other, and made them pay dearly!

Although it had been a benefit to the common goal: given its perennial presence, the profile of a new plan had begun to take shape!

Only now she would have to face Sam, her anger or the joy of fixing the tear that she had caused to their relationship... even though he could swear that things like that don't heal overnight...

In the classroom she was well received by the teachers, the same could not be said of her classmates who had once again become cold and dodgy towards her. Except for Caleb and Beatrice who received a warm welcome.

On the other side, Sam avoided his gaze and was on the bench with Adam. Since he had failed, however, apart from Theo, he had managed to find a friend, his peer.

"What was it like to find yourself in the Stone Age?" Beatrice asked curiously. "How?" Asked to refer Rose, "Didn't your father not ban you from using any electronic device? Did my mother understand wrong?" She asked her friend for a lost. "Ah, yes! It's true!" _" Even though I followed half the bans!"_ Rose thought before continuing, "No, I'm sorry, but you got it right! Only now I'm back to normal life, so we could text each other all the time!" She said then exchanged an accomplice look with Beatrice.

"Rose, pick up where we left off please!" The teacher's voice caused both girls to jolt and the respondent began to seek some help from those whose eyes crossed with her, only to be disappointed not to receive any suggestions ... that book called "Metamorphosis" was terrible! First it wasn't his kind, second, Kafka had some rather macrabe ideas in terms of writing that didn't help his reading at all!

Thirty seconds later, she took a note on the log and was forced to wait in the hallway, in front of the classroom door, in punishment, just to change, that the Professor called her back. She had to admit that the teacher of letters had, yes, antiquated methods for imparting discipline and order, but extremely effective!

That's because she was the only one who was so screwed up that she ended up in the hallator at least once a week!

He could say that as a start it was not bad, but now it remained to be seen how he would cope with his former friend: from this it would depend on whether to call the day "bad" or "great"!

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Once the lessons were over, Rose ran to the library. If he hadn't changed his habits, it was very likely that Sam was there.

Bingo, his former best friend, and Adam sat on the stairs to reach the highest books even though they were using them for another purpose.

"Day!" She whispered to the girl "MA IF IT is ... afternoon!" Adam answered, lowering his voice as soon as he was picked up by other people who were trying to read in peace.

She looked up at the sky! How could it be? Surely she had to have other obvious skills, but not to her! Because otherwise he couldn't explain how Sam found a friend in that slit. Adam's fame had never been good and that's why Rose decided that he would get to know the boy better in an attempt to discover some dormant qualities!

Otherwise he was simply the first, no, second substitute that his former best friend had found in the absence of their solid friendship, the tear of which seemed wider than expected, since he was not dignified her with a look or an ounce of attention from When she came in!

"It's a saying!" Said Rose, "Could you tell your friend that I'm sorry if I behaved like an arrogant egotist and that I'm here to make up for it?" She asked to Adam. He made a confused expression and then replied, "My friend feels great!" He said, "So you can talk to him directly!" And soon after Adam's attention he returned to the book he was reading.

"Tell the girl she's wasting her time!" Sam suddenly said to his friend. "But are you dumb?" Adam asked confused not understanding why he had to play the part of the phone. Rose sighed, evidently he knew nothing of what had happened. She and Sam were known because they in turn knew the famous collector, but it was not always a good thing and no one had become aware of the latest facts in the reserve.

"Tell my friend..." Rose continued undaunted …."that my job from the beginning was to help them, but I was selfish and they were the one who paid the consequences" to that sentence Sam stared at her with the tail of his eye.

Considering that he had spent most of his life in the castle, he could say that we had been missing for a long time! The fact that she had finally understood their task was a step forward, of course! In those last months he had known that some animals had been fugitives for a long time, but "consequences" had heard nothing! Obviously a punishment had been given and now curiosity urged him to do what he promised not to do: talk to her!

He would have forgiven her, but not right away! He had to understand first how much he had made him suffer so that he would never treat him like that again! Although he was certain that their friendship would always stand up to everything!

"Now that I've found out that the person I was seeking approval of has no connection to me, I've decided to do the right thing and turn my back on them!" The girl continued to speak, "Who were you looking for approval from? And what task are you talking about?" Adam asked that he didn't understand anything. "The family is not in the blood. That's why I consider you like a brother! Only... I only got there now, not being able to spare you my pain for a life I didn't choose! Now I understand that my destiny is to follow in my mother's footsteps! And I need to know if you're with me!" She finished telling.

Is there no connection? Turn your back on him? Isn't the family in the blood? But what had she smoked?

After a first moment of confusion, Sam cursed himself inwardly before saying, "I'm with you! I have always been and a quarrel, even of this size, will never change anything!" He answered by barely holding back tears. Rose was right: he really had a heart of butter!

The two embraced happily.

"But I want to be updated on everything! You have to find a way to enter the reserve without crossing your father and..." a chorus of "Shh" silenced the boy and the trio walked out of the library. Rose and Sam because they seemed eager to recover those months of separation and Adam because he wanted to understand something in that strange situation!

"... and Teo and Adam will help us!" He said it all in one breath Sam as soon as the heavy door closed behind them.

"All right! As long as Caleb and Beatrice come too!" Says the girl.

The friend made a face, but eventually decided to accept. If you said yes without hesitating, he wouldn't have been less... hoping those two weren t too tedious!

**The best friend is the one who brings out the best in us! **

**True friendship resists time, distance and silence!**

**True friendship is not a slave to time, but is strengthened with it and with all the evidence that life will appear before him!**

**This is what I think and I wanted to share by writing this chapter!**

**I hope I did it! **

**See you soon, **

**X-98**


	28. Chapter 28

**NEVER GIVE UP**

"So humans are now six?" Lim asked, nervously moving his tail, "I think we should call them allies since they intend to help us escape!" Lei said.

"Are you brats, our allies? Will they help us escape? So let's stay cool!" Chong said that like many, he had lost hope for a life outside the reserve and did not trust humans in the slightest.

Meanwhile, underground, hidden from prying eyes, Shen, Mei, Shu and Hua worked tirelessly in the lab. The peacock had invented new fireworks that could be used as weapons against the guards and anyone who tried to obstruct them.

They only served to knock out the enemy, they were designed to cause bruises and minor burns without risking, even remotely, to kill those who were hit. Mei, Shu and Hua helped him in production, having each learned a precise passage.

Xu, Guo, Hao, Kuen and Syaoran were busy stocking the crates in the large storage facility next to the lab, while Kun, Zhong, Tai-Yang and Jie were busy working in the forge, completing the production of the new weapons.

Those of the peacocks had been entirely designed and built by Shen, while the last ones intended for others had been built by Kun, who, together with Pei, had shown himself very adept at working iron.

The various field tests had been carried out by Sam and other of the new boys who had the opportunity to get away enough for prying eyes not to see the new fireworks.

Thanks to a magic mirror Shen and the others had been able to see and study the behavior of the new fires, in order to improve them. And now, after several trials, they were finally ready!

The favorites of most animals were two in particular: the first, once exploded, took the shape of a dragon's head and moving horizontally went straight towards the goal to end up exploding on it with numerous whistles and colors; the second became a huge phoenix of fire and there were two types, one that went straight to the target, as if it had been a flying bird and the second that served to leave a trail of fire as it passed, dropping fragments of coal , which burned to create flames that hindered the advance of the enemies!

There was a simple reason why the phoenix and the dragon were so appreciated...

The depictions of the Chinese phoenix dated back to about seven thousand years ago, often as jade amulets, being a lucky charm for the tribes of eastern China.

Named Fenghuang it was used as a symbol of the South, represented by the male Feng, and the female Huang, facing each other. She was also a symbol of the empress in the imperial pair, while the dragon represented the emperor. For this reason the two animals were depicted in the wedding celebrations as a good omen for the marital relationship, another metaphor of yin and yang.

Moreover, as if that were not enough, they were in the decorations of the houses, to signify that the people who lived in that building were loyal and honest since the phoenix lives in places where there is no corruption.

Reflecting hard, Derek had only explored China! Who knows how many other unique and rare animals were hiding in the rest of the other countries!

"I can't wait to burn some wormy heads that the humans find!" Hua said as he placed a finished bamboo casing on the table, so that others would fill it with the explosive mixture of black powder and other chemical compounds.

"We will only use them out of necessity!" Mei reminded her. The owl snorted,"Do you really believe that..." "... otherwise you will have to see it with the Master!" Shu interrupted her, breaking the debate about the birth.

Fortune never to have the collars with sapphire did not mean having full freedom on its own agitate!

Shen thought of her as Hua. A small punishment for humans was there, but Jingjing would never allow it since he was firmly convinced that revenge was not a solution even remotely calculating...

The Kung Fu Masters were very irritable! For them, an opponent was defeated, though perfectly capable of counter-attacking. Death was not contemplated, as was the wounding... It made him nauseous to think of all those headaches that arose from the sense of honor... If an enemy tries to kill you you repay it with the same coin, it was right!

Although, when you think about it, the Master's ideas, even if absurd, must have had some effect on him as he kept thinking about it!

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It had been almost a year since the failure, and even though there was a huge hatred for her and others in the reserve, she could clearly sense that the spirit of many was broken down.

Rose had helped them produce adequate weapons to allow them to defend themselves and also with the production of fireworks. As far as he knew, Shen and the others were, at the time, busy producing as much as they could!

Were... different from those she knew, although Beatrice and Caleb had called them figs, she had never felt thrilled to see the progress during such creation...

The moment was approaching! As soon as they had had enough weapons they would have moved, not forgetting the duty to be able to motivate the majority that for now was not inclined to cooperate!

But Rose, before proceeding with the plan, burned with a desire to shed light on her past!

Her father's email account had shown her a shocking truth, and although it could be dangerous for their escape intentions, she wanted to confront him before proceeding!

Her parents Isabella and John had run away when they found out her mother was pregnant with her. Fearing reprisals from Derek once he found out his son was not his, it seemed like the best solution.

Unfortunately, some of her followers had found them and during a brutal assault on their hideout they had seriously wounded her mother when they were still two weeks away from giving birth. Despite everything, this had not prevented her from completing the pregnancy and giving birth to her in their new hiding place.

But since having contact with the outside world, at that time, would have been equivalent to a suicide, Isabella had not been able to receive adequate care and had contracted a terrible infection!

As if things could not have gone worse, after only a few days of childbirth he had found them! His mother had died soon after, while John had been sent away... in the letters it was only written "_He will go to the place where he is to be!"._

The various messages suggested that it was Derek who ordered the murder of Isabella and her partner, although in the end he seemed to have rethought it for crueler purposes: to lock his father away, with the knowledge that his daughter would grow up with him ! Now Rose wondered what happened to her maternal grandparents!

Although he did not go mad from happiness to the idea of knowing them, since they had forced his mother to marry a man he did not like, curiosity could not block those questions of his.

He went into the study, aware that that day would be the worst of his life. Fortunately the anguish did not last long, because after a short time his father came in with some documents in his hand.

"Why did you lie to me?" She asked as soon as she saw him, "On what?" He asked him with not so much interest "I know everything! I read everything on your computer!" The girl accused him. "You may have read everything, but that's not mine!" He answered by pointing the object at the desk.

"Isn't it your computer?" Rose Churches.

"No!" Derek said, "But how?" She asked. She had recently received permission to enter the father's room and believed that all the material inside was Derek's!

"The room is mine, I keep a lot of documents, but To organize the business, Mrs. Carmela thinks about it and the computer is her property." He finished explaining to the collector as he arranged the cards "Know, whatever you found out about your mother, it's false! For years, absurd stories have been circulating to say the least. "... and my father?" Rose asked, interrupting Derek for the first time in his life, "I am the collector and also your father!" He yelled, whose anger grew more and more, "Are you faking, or is it the truth? Because my mother in a letter written just before she died revealed the name of my real father and it's not you!" Rose was more and more confused, the more she sought the truth, the more she was looking for the truth, the more she was trying to get even more complicated!

"That was her lover!" He yelled Derek bruised with rage.

"Let's do this:..." began to tell the girl before sitting on the couch "... I'm sitting here while you tell my mother's story!" It was the best idea given how eager he was to find out if someone hadn't acted behind Derek's back just to take advantage of it. It would not have been new, but at least it would have allayed his doubts!

Derek snorted, but eventually agreed with a "Now I'll clear your ideas!" sitting on a chair in front of his daughter.

"The first I knew were Isabella's parents, they proposed a marriage between the two of us. I accepted knowing that his family was very rich and powerful. Joining my name to theirs would allow me to realize my dreams, that is to build the reserve. I had a place where I kept a few animals, but that would change everything! Making me powerful and famous!

But a few yers after the wedding, while the construction of the reserve was almost completed, I learned of the terrible truth: your mother had a lover!

Before I could act, they ran away. Her parents threatened to cancel the marriage if I didn't bring her back, and I decided to go along with them. You know how much You hate being under someone's orders, but back then I was still inexperienced and desperately needed their money, so I agreed. Also Isabella was pregnant when she escaped and having an heir was important to my inheritance.

After almost a year I found them, you had a few days and yet your mother had treated you well. I threatened to report her to the authorities when I saw how they lived, but she didn't give up, even though she was sick! So I decided to take you with me and raise you in a less sweaty place, sure no one would hurt you. Many wish to inherit what I have created and get you out of the way has always been the best solution for them..."

"_Thank you I know! You make me spin like I'm the president of the United States!"_ Rose thought.

"... your mother was segregated in her rooms, but soon died of an infection contracted during childbirth. Her lover... rots for fifteen years in a prison in Alaska!" He finished telling Derek.

"But how can you be sure that I am your daughter?" Rose asked.

"I told you: your mother was pregnant when she ran away!" Derek responded by jerking from his chair and bringing his attention back to the various documents placed on the studio desk.

"But if he had the lover I might as well be..." "... that worm could only touch it once i ran away because before, I, I didn't allow anyone to get close to my wife!" Derek yelled Derek bruised with rage, "Don't let absurd stories divide us! You are my daughter and in the future you will send the reserve forward as your children and grandchildren will! My name will remain in history, as will yours!" He said before leaving the room slamming the door with all the force he possessed.

Was he really so blind or didn't he want to see the truth behind a silk loave? Maybe the second chance was the right one! Amazing, given his affection, that he cared so much to an heir, even if for not sentimental purposes...

But after that conversation a new question had arisen!

Could doubts increase with every word?

Then the email account bore her father's name, but until then it was Mrs. Carmela who used it! She passed out to him! And she set it all up! Rose realized at that moment that perhaps, she could be even more dangerous than her father!

What else had she done? He was manipulating her…. that is Derek... for years? The collector wasn't so dumb as to fall for it! Or maybe he is?

Apparently she had a new job for ghosts!

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Mei had to shake her head several times. It almost looked like he saw us twice!

It was amazing how the hard work had paid off: Shen and Sheng looked like the same person as they performed simple moves with the caliph next to each other! They had identical weapons, as well as clothes and colors, more or less! But the difference was minimal, allowing them to mess up anyone!

Looking around, he could say that all the peacocks, including females, had made remarkable strides with their new weapons. They were all short or long swords, knives, or modified spears, unique in their kind... apart from Sheng's!

He also knew how to handle his guan dao, a spitting copy of Shen's to not allow anyone to distinguish them, but he preferred particular sticks. They had a 30-degree angle that gave them the aerodynamic properties that affected its trajectory and movement in the air, allowing it, once launched, to rotate on itself, so that the ends were able to strike with violence the goal. Surprising was the fact that, apart from the fact that they were able to travel considerable distances, the trajectory was curved. Finally, if launched correctly, they could make an elliptical trajectory back to the person who launched it. Shen had spent a whole month designing them and in the end many were amazed at his inventiveness by requiring him to take a look at the production of their weapons, which proved impossible given the enormous work that was to be done with fireworks. Lucky the dragon and the phoenix solved his lack!

"I appear every morning to lie at your feet. I follow you all day, no matter how much you run, though I almost die in the midday sun!" Sheng said as soon as they finished the exercise. Shen rolled his eyes, you never get used to certain things! "Have mercy, please!" He said, impatient with his brother's constant riddles.

"If you had it now I wouldn't be able to handle this thing decently!" Sheng responded annoyed that the other did not appreciate his puzzles.

"It's called guan dao!" Xian said as he approached the two.

Shen, realizing that an argument was imminent, headed toward Mei who, sitting on a large trunk, had witnessed the whole exercise.

"The hard work has paid off! We are one step away from the finish line even if the last obstacle seems insurmountable!" She said the leopard as soon as the peacock sat next to her.

Shen sighed. Confidence was hard to conquer, but easy to lose!

After its failure all hope of escape had faded, like a candle due to a slight breeze.

"News!" Rose screamed as she appeared from a bush behind them suddenly.

"If you don't let me take these shots it may as well be that I'll be listening to you!" Mei said that, yes, she had improved in her relationship with humans, but there was still some acidity!

"Derek is not the enemy!" He said the girl had both turned towards her.

"Didn't he lock us up in here? Seriously?" Mei asked in shock.

"No! No! It was him!" Run Rose "Damn!" commented on the leopard.

"But there is another person who would do anything to get what he wants! It's very dangerous and if we don't find out what she's up to and who she's allied with, we'll never be able to escape! That is you ... you will never be able to escape!" the girl explained.

What is this? Mei asked for mixed.

'Explain!" Shen ordered to be frightened by the presence of another human being threatening their safety. Was there Derek with his army, was it enough to worry about... or maybe not?

'All right!" Rose said insecure, "but I have to tell you my story because you can understand..."

**Humans instead of helping each other, very often they put themselves in competition! **

**It's something I ve noticed in everyday life and it's given me a new idea!**

**The escape won't be easy, it ll be a hard test!**

**It'll take a little longer for the final getaway. I have in mind to put up a twist, unforeseen, and many other new things that can unite animals to allow them to succeed in enterprise!**

**I thank everyone for the many views!**

**See you soon**

**X - 98**


	29. Chapter 29

**DEFEATED BUT NOT LOSERS**

Mei was in the kitchen. She wasn't a great cook, but she was okay.

During lunch they would discuss the next step.

The weapons were ready, but what Rose had revealed to them was an obstacle that had to be overcome before action!

Had a woman plotted behind Derek's back? Rather than worry, it created a charilresome among all who had learned this news!

The great collector... ridiculed by a female! His pride would have taken a long time to recover!

Many of the animals had also taken a long time to overcome the difficult situation that had arisen after the failure, and now they lived day by day, really appearing as caged beings.

Many people accept the reality of the world as it presents itself. They know and live it, but if they suddenly discover a life that can be better than that conducted before then, the former will lose the importance and meaning had previously!

"The dessert has arrived!" The chorus of two people coming from the outside flew the lid of the pot from Mei's paw to a certain height and only thanks to his reflexes, improved with training, she managed to grab it again before it fell to the ground.

From the back, Lang Min and Xing entered, each carrying a dish covered with a cloth.

"Did you hear the news?" She asked for the first time he had laid the cake on the kitchen table. "If you tell me what you're talking about, then I can answer you!" Mei said continued to mix the food on the fire so that it wouldn't burn.

"Kang and Shen have quarreled! But bad!" Xing said, still shocked, "We were out, but they screamed so much that we could follow the whole conversation!" Lang Min continued.

"What did they talk about?" the feline asked curiously. "Of the escape plan!" Xing responded by taking a curious look at the contents of the large pot on the fire.

That was a problem! If Kang had resisted a new attempt, almost everyone would have listened to him, as he was considered the leader within the reserve!

"He argues that those who want to stay can do so! Do you realize that? We have no idea what Derek will be able to do to them when the others escape!" Said Xing worried.

Mei was about to answer when the front door was slammed violently.

The two peacocks headed towards the newcomers while the feline was forced to stay in order to control the soup.

"That damned!" There was Xu "It's a pet! It's normal that he doesn't want to abandon humans!" Syaoran "Lunch is shaping up to be stormy!" And Shu, too. "But a positive note in all this at least there is: Tai does not agree with Kang's idea!" said a voice that could only be Hua.

"Do you think this will do us an advantage?" Xing asked, "Tai also has a good reputation in the reserve and I'm sure many will listen to him if he chooses to side with us!" Said Xu, "Wait, sorry, but isn't he on our side?" Lang Min asked. "We didn't get it!" Syaoran said earnestly, "What do you mean?" Xing asked, "Tai is against Kang's idea of dividing us into two groups, that is, who goes away and who doesn't, but he never said he wanted to escape! In fact, he still seemed undecided!" Shu answered before sniffing the air, smelling the good smell of lunch.

"We can't split up!" Stern Shen said. "He's right, if we could escape I'd feel guilty about all those left behind!" Said Lang Min, "I don't need a lawyer!" He protested, "No, you're right..." answered her heartbroken "You need a nanny!" She said in a humming voice.

"Really? And what makes you think little wise guy!?" Shen asked offended "Your behavior!" She answered.

"We're here!" Said Hua watching the two of them throw shots at their own.

"What's cooking in the pot?" Huo asked, the albino eagle. "Radishes!" She answered a smile in seeing his new friend.

At first they were very little, but since the plan failed, being one of the few not to have lost hope, they have often found themselves together and so their friendship had grown.

"... And noodles!" Added Mei. "You seem to be in a position to learn! Are you trying to impress someone?" Huo asked his usual brazen.

"What? No! And if it was, who would I be pointing at you?" asked the cat nervous.

"To Shen!" answered without many twists of words the eagle. Mei became more red than any fruit or vegetable verb "HOW?!" She asked to say Unshocked.

"You always spend a lot of time with him and I have to confess that since you got here I noticed that."" "We are ONLY FRIENDS!" Mei yelled, before recomposing immediately to prevent the respondent from coming into the kitchen attracted by her screams.

"Everyone says it!" Huo insisted, "Listen, I don't like him," said the feline, "Yes, yes, no!" Her friend mocked her "And to give strength to my last statement..." Mei continued more and more irritated, "You are cooked to perfection!" Huo said, "I confess to you that in this last period I was trying to get him closer to Lang Min!" concluded the feline "In love lost, blinded by... wait, what?" This time it was Huo's turn to be utterly speechless.

"She confessed to me to try something for Shen!" Mei said, "Not that it took a genius to figure it out!" He added.

"So... you don't have in mind to find the soul mate?" Huo asked, "Why should I? I'm fine as I am!" The feline said, "You?" She asked immediately afterwards, suddenly curious.

"Xu doesn't look bad to me! If you two got together, I wouldn't mind!" Huo said as if she had not spoken. Noting her friend's snoosh look at the elementary way in which she had avoided the question, she decided to settle for "Funny, isn't it? Here it is full of owls, vultures and crows! None of which i care at all! I'm looking for one of my kind! If Derek is so fixated on procreation then why don't he bring me another albino eagle that's the one for me?" Exasperated churches. "I think you ask too much! Aiming so high inevitably makes you fall back down!" Mei replied.

Huo was very young when she was captured, so it had been difficult for her to get used to the life of the reserve, and it was precisely because of her past that she had sided with them at that dark time.

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He walked slowly through the bush. Approaching the large perimeter walls the vegetation was much denser and although it was difficult due to its long rump feathers, Shen preferred to be there rather than more internally with the risk of crossing someone.

Kang was afraid! It was obvious, but he refused to admit it. On reflection, Shen thought that if nothing had happened, he would probably yell at him and force him into submission by force, but those four years had changed him more than he thought! Now he had so much respect for the peacock that he couldn't stand it!

He, the great Lord Shen, who lost a fight with a humble farmer! Absurd!

He felt like he was raging, but more than venting with others couldn't do it!

"Your mind is troubled!" A voice made him spin so fast to look like a giant white chip, the master was standing in front of him...

"No, the first time is clear!" declared the peacock "And what do your eyes see at the end of the road?" asked Jingjing to stop by him, with his right shoulder next to Shen's left.

Freedom! Says the peacock with emphasis. "Too bad you can t see what you found!" Said the master, starting to walk.

"I found New friends!" answered Shen by focusing on the old ant-bear. "You have a new family! Kang is against the escape because he fears for your safety!" said the master with the usual calm.

Shen made a face. From the fight with the one who considered a father, he started to recreate. Maybe it was better not to have a family!

I was wrong to believe he was who he really isn't He admitted reluctantly.

"It's not the blood that determines who you are! And remember that a parent is the one who raises you and protects you! Remember: family is the place where we train as people," the Master said. "The real blood in my veins counts for nothing? I remind you they didn't raise me!" The peacock insisted, "But you are the same grown in their hearts!" The Master said.

Shen snorted, fed up that every time Jingjing spoke, he always got it right! In those years, although few, Kang and Lu-Chu had always been present for his every need, they had supported him when he had started to create new fireworks and despite the fear of failure, they had not pulled back before the initial plan! He had finally received the affection and approval he so sought... if before the goal was clear, now it was crystal clear!

Everyone, no one excluded, would have escaped from the reserve!

The Master smiled, "I see you've finally found peace! You are losers! But not losers! The loser gives up fighting because he's afraid of defeat! Defeat him instead by battle."

Even Shen couldn't hold back a smile "Thank you Master! This time we will be successful!" He said truly grateful. It was a new feeling! First everything was due to him, but now, when he received an unforeseen help or affection, he felt his bowels writhe for something unexpected, and only with time did he realize that it was gratitude!

"Shen, success is to go from one failure to another without losing the enthusiasm. Make sure that others can understand it too, and together you will be free one day!" Jingjing said. The peacock crest rose "Yes Master!" Answered.

He was about to leave when, thinking back to what he had just heard, he had to stop to ask a question "Will we be? Will we be free? And you Master? Won't you stay here?" asked shocked the peacock.

"Every life is a succession of ideas that you wouldn't want to interrupt. Once finished is a period or comma? A key or a lock? It doesn't matter, because in the end, what matters is not the years of your life, but the life you put in those years. I thought I had learned and taught a lot, but in the end there were students from whom I still had to learn: you! These last years together have been a blessing, now I feel that the time is coming for me, but I am happy because you and the others have learned a lot!" The Master said, looking with wonder at the surrounding landscape as he spoke.

Shen felt himself frozen. Every creature is born and dies, but for the moment he had never felt pain because of a loss, since all those he was fond of were alive and well, and terrified him!

Without the Master he too could have acted impulsively since very often he had been the only one to control his outbursts of wrath, the one with Kang included!

He was fundamental to the group! Who would they turn to if needed? The only one with such an experience was Jingjing. As Kang said a while ago: the young man is fast, but the old man knows the way!

"Humans are dangerous! More than you can imagine! Once you have escaped you will have to be united in order to triumph!" said the Master as if his old age had suddenly gone into the background.

"How do you know?" asked the peacock puzzled "It's a feeling that has come to me since the first attempt failed! For the time being, they have not seriously injured anyone, but I sense increasing danger from the humans who are with Derek!" The Master said before he walked away.

Shen could bet Jingjing knew more than he said! So it was better to listen to him! He looked around to see where they had ended up walking and talking for so long, and that's when he saw Lang Min lying behind a tree watching him.

As soon as she realized she had been discovered she approached him "Hello!" He timidly introduced himself, "I walked and saw you!" She said as if the coincidence of having met them was completely normal.

"What do you want?" He asked Shen rudely "The truth!" She answered without half measures.

"Meaning?" He asked him more confused than before "You said you had real blood in your veins! What does that mean?" asked the female peacock to freeze the peacock on the spot.

"_Couldn't you eaveslower the second part of the speech?_" He asked Shen mentally to take the fool out of his way. For safety, he would never, and I repeat, have to make the slightest hint of his true identity! And now he had put himself in a situation from which it was difficult, if not impossible to get out of it unharmed! But he would do anything to let her know the truth!

The best thing to do was to completely change the discourse, directly.

But for the moment he did not know how to do or what to say! Her gaze, stern and penetrating, put him in trouble, but only because she was a female...

After ten interminable seconds the enlightenment came. However, as far as he had in mind, it was better to advance slowly and cautiously "Would you like to go out with me?" Or throw yourself headlong!

The reaction was immediate, Lang Min abruptly walked away from him, as if he had just threatened her with death "What?" She asked fearfully.

Shen felt a pang in his chest because he knew it would be like this! Maybe he had a few chances with albino peacocks, but with her… yet he continued to delude himself with the same result...

"I apologize for my reaction..." began her "... but you took me by surprise!" She said, with an amused smile. Target centered! She had completely forgotten the beginning of the speech.

"And... yes, I'd love to go out with you!" She answered at last.

The peacock felt his heart begin to beat madly. She had given him a chance! He had to be careful not to waste it!

"Well... how about tomorrow night?" Shen asked, wringing his feathers with excitement, "Then, tomorrow!" She answered by leaving with a huge smile on her face.

It was the first time he didn't make a total flop with a peacock and Shen found it more exciting than building fireworks! Now there was a problem!

As always, he didn't calculate the risks! He couldn't cook!

By now he had no more servants to prepare him delicious sleeves... and he had discovered, in spite of himself, that he was not at all carried, since the few things he prepared were nothing short of inedible!

When you think about it, there was an extremely good person in cooking. And being a bargaining genius, it would not have been very difficult to convince her to take care of the preparation of the dishes for the next evening!

**Love is always complicated! **

**And also the beginning of a new relationship is something that upsets your life. **

**I always thought that if Shen found a partner, she had to be strong enough to stand up to him! **

**That's why I chose Lang Min, who thanks to Shen will discover that she is really tough! **

**You can also share any ideas or advice in private messages! Not necessarily with public comments.**

**See you soon, **

**X-98**


	30. Chapter 30

**LOVE**

The longest wait of his life. Yet he wasn't busy with the preparations for a festival! But arranging that dinner turned out to be more tiring and stressful than it should have!

Fortunately, Lu-Chu was willing to cook for them, not finishing her hope and recommend Shen to be kind to his likely future daughter-in-law.

Did you think about that when they first came out? No, Shen had decided to take it one step at a time. Being inexperienced he wanted to proceed slowly and with caution to avoid ruining everything!

It was early afternoon and to keep busy he had decided to lock himself in the laboratory. With him were Syaoran and Xu while Mei, Hua and Shu had had a sudden engagement and by after lunch they had disappeared.

"As if we didn't know where they are!" The wolf complained about. "Are you sure you want to be holed up underground like moles all afternoon?" Xu asked, nervously moving his tail. "Why? Are the others training?" The wolf asked by raising his ears.

"Of course! They want to be able to protect themselves from poachers!" The panther answered.

"It's winter! I don't think humans try a shot! They're clumsier than Bao in moving in the snow!" Xu said as he placed some large fireworks in some crates filled with straw.

It was January. Many were surprised when, in November, they had not been segregated inside the castle because nothing had changed the previous year. Indeed, the previous escape routes had been sealed and the guard had doubled. So running from inside the castle, as it was the first time, was now impossible!

Rose had told them that she did not even know the motivation in the face of her father's sudden decision, as lately she spent a lot of time outside the castle walls, another bizarre behavior since she had always felt safe among those thick stone walls, especially in winter!

Peacocks and other animals often became ill due to the cold as their homes were built with poor material and windows had not been sealed. Perfect for hot summer, but bad for the cold season.

For this reason many had moved to live in a group, in a single dwelling. They were tight, but they warmed each other.

Shen's was one of the few to have been quite fit to retain as much heat as possible and now shared the house with Syaoran, Xu, Guo, Hao, Kuen, Kun, Qiao, Meng and Chan. It was fortunate that the peacock had designed the house with many rooms, so they could all be quite comfortable, which is not common in other dwellings.

Concerned about the harsh winter the animals had decided to prioritise the need to overcome that season, a problem that never existed before since humans, even before the decision to use an entire wing of the castle to them, locked them up in a small but warm structure. In recent years the temperatures had undergone a sharp change, bringing much more snow and cold, so the decision of the castle had not been so bad... it's a pity Derek had already changed his mind...

"Or maybe they could try because they know that no one expects such a move from them!" Syaoran insisted.

"If they come we will face them!" Shen said as he experimented with black powder with a small model of his new invention. It was a metal cylinder positioned horizontally from the ground and inside was put gunpowder and a piece of spherical metal, in this order.

The dust, exploding, gave the alloy such a boost that it became so fast and powerful that it pierced a thick wooden plank. Life-size, according to Shen's calculations, his power would have been devastating. What he needed to use against humans!

He had called it: cannon! Once free, they would collect all the metal needed to build one or more so they could have a defense weapon to use against those of humans. He would protect his new family and friends! Perhaps this desire was born from his previous experience as ruler. Even then his job was to protect his people and despite the outright towards him, shown by many, he had done it to the best of his ability.

When the shot started the result was what was hoped for. Despite being a model, the cannonball, though much smaller than a life-size one, pierced the wooden plank in front and she as if it were butter. A mischievous smile opened up on Shen's face: once they fled, the hopes of a return to their homeland became more and more concrete!

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Rose leaned completely on the bench. This year there would be the final second-grade exams, and students could hear the phrase "_Study the whole program for the final exam!_" And in case they had the same professor for two hours, at the first sixty minutes the teacher repeated the catch on time.

Rose was ahead of the history program... but why it was necessary, indeed it was planned to study dead languages!

Of course, it is true that many of the modern languages come from those... Death!

But no one talks to her anymore and if there was one thing Rose hated to do it was to learn to speak something other than Italian! That was hard already! With all the verbs, a giant vocabulary with millions of different words even if some shared the same meaning was already a challenge to read a new book, without having to resort to the brick as soon as it came across a word unknown to her!

As if that were not enough, then there would be English, just to finish the morning wonderfully!

Lucky she would go to the reserve in the afternoon, so she could relax her mind for a few hours. It was a saying, since she had a lot of work to do with his friends too!

The ghosts had reported interesting news. Apparently Carmela was aiming to oust her father. This was confirmed by the large number of spies who responded only to his orders! The girl, along with her friends, had studied the various evidence carried by ghosts, that is, old documents, to get a picture of the situation. Even eavesing their conversations had proved very fruitful for Genji and Dishi. The problem was that they knew what he had done, but he was smart enough to hide his intentions regarding his next move!

Maybe Derek knew something, too! She would have justified her many travels, the number of which had suddenly increased, without her knowing the reason!

Then, one morning, Sam had arrived with shocking news: Derek had set out to catch new animals!

Rose was stone-faced! He had gone without her... with any of the animals in the reserve! Usually he carried someone next on whom he used the power of sapphire, so as to have protection without being forced to use their weapons! Either Derek went crazy, or he found out that she knew the truth about her parents, or she didn't consider her her daughter anymore after realizing who she really was...?

Or he still didn't trust animals, at least not so much to let them out, with or without the influence of the diamond...

And now she found herself lying on the school bench dying of boredom, with questions and doubts like that thronging her mind!

The bell of recreation was a liberation! Beatrice and Caleb were elated to her, "The hydroelectric power station is well guarded, but I think one of your spies may be able to go unnoticed!" Caleb said.

Sam, Adam and Teo immediately joined the conversation "I downloaded a plant map so I could study all the steps well! I think, however, that a microphone must be given to those who infiltrate!" Said Teo starting to unroll a huge sheet "He's right! The more chances of success there are, the better!" Beatrice said. "Do you mean that whatever can increase our success rate calculated on the basis of all the factors to the contrary, it needs to be taken into account?" Adam asked, who often amazed others by being a genius in mathematics and physics. "Yes, but I speak like mere mortals!" He teased the girl. "Once the hydroelectric power station is shut down, the whole country will find itself without power!" Sam specified, "So, goodbye cameras!" He concluded satisfied.

"A point in our favour! If the problem is general maybe my father will not suspect us!" Rose admitted happy, "Well! Beatrice and Caleb, you will follow the spy, while Sam and I will check the situation at the castle. Adam you will stay with the animals and Teo will wait for you at the agreed point once outside the walls!" explained the girl.

"What are you doing?" A voice foreign to the group made everyone take a hit.

Adam flew a monopoly board by slamming it over the seedling while the others threw pieces of the game onto it.

After this improvisation, the six boys turned to the intruder: the Headmaster!

"Good morning!" They said in chorus, "Have you forgotten how to play this game?" asked the gentleman with an amused expression in his face.

"No! ... We invented a new kind of monopoly!" Teo said he was denied making excuses! "And what changes?" He asked the principal to be serious again, even if in his eyes you could see a hint of curiosity.

"We can't tell you!" Beatrice answered on impulse, "Why not? I'm the Principal, and it's my right to question my students to make sure they're not breaking any rules!" He explained sternly.

"But it's a secret between...comrades! We can't betray... foundation!" Teo said, and then asked what he had just said.

The Headmaster at the time realized that it was simply a game between boys. Being the members of that group very marginalized, he decided to let them do it.

"You're right! When you take an oath you keep it! Continue with your secret monopoly but don't be long to get back to class when the bell rings!" Headmaster said before walking away.

A big sigh came from the group as soon as the adult turned the first corner.

"Never bring such compromising evidence again!" Beatrice said furiously, turning to poor Theo. "You didn't say anything when I showed them to you! So it's also your fault!" the boy accused.

"Question!" Adam introduced himself. Everyone turned to look at him waiting for it to continue "Once the power is gone you won't hope you can open the gate and run away! After what has happened he will be ready for any eventuality!" The boy said, posing yet another problem.

"What do you know the current will suddenly blow?" Theo asked. "He's right!" Caleb said, telling his friend, "He's going to be on high alert! But how can we know what he's going to do?" He asked, "What if we use a diversion?" Beatrice asked, "Which one?" asked Theo curiously "Something that can divert his attention!" The girl said.

"He asked you the idea you have in mind, not the definition of "diversion"!" Adam said it seemed that his new friend didn't take their intentions seriously.

"Let's not forget her! We have to keep an eye on her!" Sam said. "The spies will tell me about his moves, but remember he's unpredictable!" Rose said, referring to Carmela. She had plotted to kill her mother, and even though the Master had told her that she was not honorable, she hoped, one day, that she could return the favor!

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It was ten good minutes that he was looking up in the mirror in search of some imperfections that he could fix. Shen wanted to be impeccable in appearance as well as in manners. For that evening he had worn his beautiful silk robe, along with the iron gloves he had not worn for a long time. Kung Fu is a martial art that does not hurt, that was just the motivation... yes, even the Master had played a role in that decision!

The blades had decided to leave them with his dao guan. By now with Kung Fu he was almost on par with a Master and had decided to trust more of his abilities than to rely on weapons. The gloves on the feet were just beauty.

Everything was ready. Candles, starter, and every course had been put in the kitchen ready to be served. He would have thought about it, which made him nervous since he wasn't good at bringing dishes... in the Tower of the Holy Flame had never to think about it...

His friends had helped him organize and then they disappeared, as if they had never set foot in his house!

A slight knock on the door made him literally run towards it, only to slow down just before reaching it in an attempt to recompose.

Once open, he gasped. Lang Min wore a blue robe that did not contrast at all with his colors, indeed, he seemed to be perfectly in tune with them. Pink, green and a hint of brown complemented the dress she wore.

"Hello Shen!" she said, looking down to study it well in turn.

That robe was magnificent. The white feathers of the peacock seemed to stand out, but at the same time its precious embroidery accentuated the beauty of the fabric.

After a few minutes, Shen recovered from her initial stunner and invited her in, "Take a seat! Come and sit by the fire, you'll warm up!" the peacock said, nodding toward the chimney.

After taking her coat and hanging it in the lobby, he followed her to the sofa on which she had sat. "Before now you've never dated women much, have you?" Lang Min asked with an amused expression in his face.

"What makes you say it?" Shen asked to swallow bitterly so as not to start arguing even then. "You're too tense!" She said she "And why should I be so?" The peacock asked.

They earned each other at a moment of embarrassment and Shen, not knowing how to act taken a bouquet of flowers behind them and offered it to her. Lang Min ended silence with a pure surprise of surprise "They are beautiful!" She said smell the Good Scent "Never as much as you do!" whispered the peacock to observe her closely with wonder. "Where did you find them?" She asked you to consciously know that in winter they could not survive. "Rose got them!" replied the peacock.

"So does she know about us?" She asked for the paviless "What?" Churches Shen lost "You're not courting me?" She asked "Is it working?" He asked for his ass immediately after the moron. "I think so!" replied Lang Min and the Peacock heard his heart start beating fast.

"There's only one thing... " She said "I'm listening" He encouraged her, "We must be honest with each other! Shen... who are you?" She asked, completely distraught him. The peacock opened his beak to answer but closed it immediately. After a few more moments of hesitation he spoke "You will judge me if I say so!" Admitted.

"No, I won't!" She answered. "Listen, I promise it will be me. I'm not going to pretend to be someone else, but I'd rather tell you later... it's something that will have a big impact on our relationship!" Insisted Shen, "Then you wouldn't want to tell me right away?" Lang Min asked, which was increasingly curious and at the same time intimidated. What was he hiding? What could affect their relationship so incisively?

Was Shen being paranoid or was it true?

"It will affect our future, not the present!" Said the peacock desperately seeking an escape route. "Does it have to do with your "real blood"?" She asked.

Shen looked down and avoided her not knowing how to respond. This time he couldn't have avoided it! And maybe he would have lost it even before he had fully conquered it.

"Are you a nobleman? A real? Are you the ruler of any city?" She asked, astonished her.

"Not the sovereign... I will become when my father dies..." whispered Shen as if he hoped that she could not hear him.

Lang Min stood by her with sheer astonishment. She should have figured it out! From the first moment he saw it he understood that he was different, but he could not even remotely imagine that it was for that reason! Shen was a Prince!

Hell! Why did she always have to aim so high?! He probably expected some noblewoman who was worthy of him... thing that she wasn't... his father was rich yes, but he was not a nobleman!

She felt she loved him, but she was sure she wouldn't be up to it in case their story worked! She had always been very shy and introverted and her father had not helped at all! She knew well that a Prince had many important tasks to perform, including numerous comparisons with his people! A ruler? Let's not talk about it!

It was intriguing and frightening at the same time to have taken the mask off that peacock!

"Are you going to go back to your city... to claim the throne?" She asked intimidated "No!" The shot of him surprised her even more "I've never been so happy as in the last four years! And I finally realized that's not my place!" confessed to the peacock for the first time ever.

"Oh... less bad!" Lang Min said with a sigh. This time it was Shen's turn to be surprised "Why?" He asked curiously to hear the answer.

"I don't know how to deal with a Prince!" She admitted, "You don't have to think about the Prince, it's just me!" Shen said by laying a wing on her side, finding that contact incredibly comforting.

"It goes for me too! I'm just Lang Min, not a spinster with a rich dowry!" She said, referring to a part of her past that she was still trying to forget, reciprocating the squeeze. Shen smiled, "Are you hungry?" He politely asked, "I'm dying!" She confessed to him. They both laughed and with a smile on their faces they made their way to the table.

**Sorry for this unexpected break, but I had to work on this new couple!**

**Lang Min is much smarter and stronger than you think that's what attracted Shen from now on! **

**And I hope that with time, their relationship will strengthen!**

**And most of all, I had to show that the boys are also working on designing a good plan.**

**See you soon**

**X - 98**


	31. Chapter 31

**PATIENCE IS THE VIRTUE OF THE STRONG**

The icy wind penetrated into the bones, but this did not seem to intimidate the collector about the decision made days earlier. If there were new animals to catch, he would, with or without the snowstorm!

Until then they had only explored China, who knows how many wonderful animals there were in the rest of that world! But his spies were barely enough for that boundless territory that, in spite of everything, had provided him with numerous rare pieces over the years.

Derek and his men really looked like animals thanks to the heavy furs they wore against the bitter cold.

The storm had subsided allowing them to resume their journeys, but this was not the case with the cold. The airship was characterized by an internal aluminium frame that determined its shape, usually in cigar. Numerous cells, filled with helium, lighter than air, allowed him to rise high. But this was different, externally it looked like two large oval balloons with in the center of them the cabin equipped with numerous compartments for weapons and cages. They were basically two large airships attached to each other, connected by a large cabin, twice the size of normal given the double capacity of the helium cells.

"Sir, the target has been identified! Can we proceed?" A young boy asked.

After receiving an almost no-existent nod of consent from the collector, the young man ran to report it to his superior.

An albino serval walked carefree in a vast clearing completely covered in snow. If he hadn't worn clothes, it would have been impossible to spot him!

The large airship used the fog to make the most of it so that it could lower itself unseen and bring a group of men down to the ground. His collectibles often used to capture new animals, but this time, the collector would use his own strength. Once on the ground he and his men moved quickly, being careful to stay downwind. From the relaxed and slow pace to which the feline was moving it was evident that he had not yet realized that he was being hunted and this was an advantage.

Animals were extremely fast as humans never resorted to any of their inventions to avoid attracting too much attention. At least, not many, given the presence of the airship. But thanks to the artificial fog it was quite easy to hide it, despite its huge size and the engines had been specially modified in such a way as to make as little noise as possible!

A machine would be too visible and not wanting to alarm an empire, Derek had realized that acting in the shadows was the only possible solution.

After hours of pursuit, the serval eventually picked up wood and lit a fire near a large tree under which he had decided to take shelter.

That was the signal. Once the animal stopped it was both dangerous and favorable at the same time. The danger came from the fact that standing still, the animal could have spotted them more easily. At the same time, however, humans could surround it and attempt to block any escape route.

Luck wanted many of these rare animals to be very often alone, as if the others avoided them!

The prey removed the hood from his head and one of the guards took advantage of it by firing the sedative.

The serval emitted a suffering verse before slumping into the ground unconscious. Derek found himself smiling smugly.

Hunting was rarely so easy. Usually a fight or a little chase was always there, but in this way it would have caught many more prey in a day. At the moment there were eight designated animals, but if he met with interesting ones he would not miss the opportunity. There were animals not suffering from genetic problems such as albinos, but still extremely rare and since its prestige depended on those beasts, Derek would take anyone he could find useful!

A thick fog heralded the imminent arrival of the large airship, and once it landed, the men prepared for an immediate take-off, aware that the hunt had only just begun.

"Sir, the next target is five kilometres north, but it's moving fast!" A guard informed him while the others dealt with the newly captured animal, "Tell him to follow him and tell us about the location! It's the first albino mooce we see and it must be absolutely ours!" Derek said, looking at an old photo long before he depicted the animal in question.

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Shen sighed deeply as he tried to relax…. failing miserably.

For weeks he and Kang had not spoken and because of the power of the females, it is not known how, Lang Min had convinced him... let's say more compelled, to reconcile with his father.

The peacock was sitting rigidly on the sofa in the sofa of his parents' house, though, at the time, he wished to be on the other side!

Kang entered the room, also appearing visibly nervous. He sat down in front of the young man and began to ignore each other. After a few minutes Lu-Chu arrived intrigued by the simple fact that he had not yet heard a single scream.

"Kang!" She said she was taking her husband back. He gave up and said, "I heard Derek set out to catch new ones..." "... Prisoners! Yes, you heard right!" Shen concluded for him. "What is it that you want?" asked the peacock more and more angrily.

"Freedom!" answered the albino by raising his head and crossing his father's gaze for the first time. "Are you sure? I think what you're most interested in is just revenge!" Kang said with obvious dislike in his voice. "And when would you have this enlightenment?" Shen asked, "Are you preparing an arsenal of weapons with your fireworks!" He observed Kang.

"I'm just for defense!" explained the albino peacock "Really?" asked his father with obvious sarcasm, "Yes, believe it or not!" Shen replied, impatient with such distrust. "So we're going to leave this place so Derek can keep catching more animals?" Kang asked, "Not gon..." "They won't run away! None of the future "prisoners" will be able to do that! He will get better and better!" The exasperated father screamed. "Now do you worry that others may be caught?" His son mocked him.

"It's my duty..." "Why? Ah... right! Because you live well here, right?" Shen interrupted him "... to make sure everyone's okay! And I'm not gonna let a young man put life on the line for his stupid dream!" Screamed Kang threatening to open the tail so that it could appear more threatening.

"Do you really want to live your whole life in a cage?" Asked Shen.

"I want to live instead of dying! If you're gonna keep giving up Derek S trouble, you're gonna…..." Kang lowered his head by cheating bitterly. But there was no need to complete the sentence, because Shen understood what he meant.

"This is not life!" screamed the White Peacock, knowing the other thought otherwise. "Enough!" A Third voice turned the two males into Lu-chu, which was watching Lang Min surprise that had entered and was interfered into the conversation without any hesitation. In stark contrast to her timid character.

"Kang, you offered me a welcoming home when I thought I was gonna be doomed! You did it with almost everyone in the reserve! And you will continue to do so because you have a kind heart! But lowering your head in front of humans just for fear that they might hurt us is not life! Living in terror cannot be called such! Life without freedom, it is like a body without the spirit." Lang Min began to speak as she sat next to his companion. The males were extremely proud and it was a practice that they took from anger, forgetting the core of the speech by getting into unnecessary insults.

"I'm afraid too!" Confessed the female peacock "Last time we were beaten! What are they going to do this? But Shen has awakened in me the desire to live free! Do you know what freedom is? It is to be able to travel and see the world, it is to make one's choices consciously, it is not to have to live behind thick walls, it is when you no longer feel the weight of the chains and their cold metal..." Lang Min lowered his head heartbroken. Kang stood still staring at her with a serious expression in his face, as if he cared nothing of a single word.

"Do you want your children and grandchildren to live like this? They're going to get away with it too! There is a possibility..." "...no, there isn't! Now that you're with him, do you feel like an expert in war? Keep biting the hand that feeds you and... you will regret it!" Kang said frostyly before getting up and heading for the door. But Shen was quick to get on his way "How dare you talk to her like that?" thundered the white peacock , "If you really care about her, give up!" The father said calmly. "Is that how you protect my mother? Do you really think humans need an excuse to hurt us or kill us?" yelled Shen behind Kang who had left the house, tired of continuing that conversation.

"Shen..." a voice turned the couple in Lu-Chu's direction. The female peacock was barely holding back tears, and the white peacock grabbed her wing in an attempt to pull her up. In his youth he had almost never received any gestures of affection from his parents and now he did not know how to behave. Needless to say, when she embraced him sobbing he was dismayed, reciprocating the squeeze with obvious embarrassment.

When his mother broke away from him, she gave him a sad smile, "He's always lived here! Be patient! He feels it like his home, his land! I feel compassion for what humans do to them!... When the time comes to leave... I... I'll come with you! I was young when they caught me, not as much as my husband, that's why Something I remember it and I hope Kang changes his mind so that we can live a happy life together!" She said Lu-Chu before following her husband, perhaps, to try to reason with him.

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"For those who struggle, life tastes like those who are safe will never know," said a voice. Kang stopped his stumble and looked up , "Good morning Master!" He said trying to leave "Who fights can lose, those who do not fight have already lost" without success apparently.

"They're going to kill us!" He angrily said, hoping to silence the antwere.

"You seem so sure about that!" Jingjing said as soft as ever.

"We can't overwhelm their weapons! The first failure was proof!" Kang insisted, "You didn't beat yourself, you chose a different path, and that has disadvantaged you!" He specified the Master. "It doesn't matter! We can't face humans, they're too strong! And I wouldn't be able to protect them once we're out," the peacock closed the speech.

"How much do you know about yourself if you've never fought?" Jingjing asked, "What are you saying? I've always tried to get them to have it all! I just want to protect them!" Kang said, not fully understanding the Master's words.

"You've always lowered your head... to protect them! I admire you, but you confuse freedom with slavery," the prickly antiser pointed out to him.

"To the slave from orders, I never executed an order and never gave them!" The peacock said, turning his back on the Master with the intention of ending the speech there.

"A slave who has no conscience that he is a slave and who does nothing to free himself, is truly a slave. But a slave who is aware that he is a slave and who is fighting to free himself is no longer a slave, but a free man," Jingjing said, stopping for the umpteenth time, Kang's escape.

"I am a peacock of the reserve! This is, was it, it was and it will never change!" The peacock said he was running out of patience.

"The greatest waste in the world is the difference between who we are and what we could become. The evil of the world cannot be eliminated, but living with it is not normal!" Said the Master parading himself in front of the peacock.

"I'm fine so! I have nothing to fight for! My family lives here! And that's where I'm going to stay!" Kang said with confidence.

"It's worth fighting only for things without which it's not worth living: your family!" Kingjing said. "Didn't you hear?" asked the peacock on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Kang!" A voice turned him over and to his left he saw his beloved wife. "Honey, I've decided to go with Shen and all the others who want freedom!" said the female peacock as if to blame for what she had just said was crushing her under a weight impossible to sustain.

"No!" he cried. Kang said, snapping immediately as soon as he heard his wife utter those words, "I won't allow it!" She screamed as if she did not want to believe what she had said. "Will you prevent us from going?" Lu-Chu asked, "Of course i do! It's too dangerous!" Kang said as he approached her. But when he stretched a wing towards his wife's, he felt he was missing as soon as he saw her demoted to escape that caress. Never his adored, had dismissed him so abruptly!

"Are we prisoners then?" Lu-Chu asked with tears in his eyes. This time it was Kang who went backwards reflecting on what he had just said.

"No... no you are not! Only... I can't live without you! You can't leave me!" He tried to convince her. "You're abandoning your family!" Said the female peacock and began to cry. "That's not true! My children..." "... they decided to follow Shen!" She concluded the sentence.

Kang stared at his wife, the woman he loved most than life itself, with complete horror! It was much worse than having to live with the idea that his parents had sold him for a few coins to Derek when he was just a few days old chick! Worse than the fear he had at the idea of getting out of the reserve! Worse than the terror that twisted his bowels as he found himself fearing for the lives of his children!

A primitive fury overwhelmed him and he ran away!

"Master!" Lu-Chu screamed as he hugged the old antwere in search of some comfort after he had turned his back on his beloved.

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"How much longer should we be pet?" Xu asked as he finished cleaning his plate. "Great dinner, Lang Min! You're an excellent cook!" Syaoran said as he licked what was left of the broth in his dish.

"Um, yes, not bad!" Guo said he wasn't too convinced, even though he had devoured dinner by also taking the encore.

"We must be cautious! Humans are on alert! We will wait for the most favorable moment, that is, when Rose and the others will distract them enough to make us act without suspicious them," said Shen, who appeared visibly in a bad mood and everyone knew why...

"How much longer should we wait?" asked impatiently Kuen.

"Patience is the virtue of the strong!" Sheng said he entered the house without even knocking. "A saying? But you weren't just talking for riddles?" Meng asked, mocking the peacock.

Suddenly Lang Min entered the dining room and hurriedly put the second door on the table, only to run immediately to his companion's side and say something to his ear. This caused everyone to mutiny and stare at the scene full of curiosity. Whatever the peacock said, she altered the already black mood of the white peacock who stood up as he made his way to the door in great strides. Lang Min lowered his head, sighing heartbrokenly. What would happen now?

"Let me guess... Kang?" sarcastically asked Chan, the albino falcon.

The peacock in question was gone that morning, after the last discussion i had with Shen, so as not to be seen by anyone... up to that point, it seemed!

"I bet two coins that it is he and two others who will emerge victorious from the now imminent quarrel!" Xu said that despite the numerous losses accumulated, he had not lost the desire to wager bets despite the fact that there were very few coins in the reserve, since it was humans who took care of their needs.

"I accept!" said Hao waving his excited tail. "We too!" Guo and Hao said in chorus. "You nothing?" He asked for the melanic panther addressed to those who had not joined the bet.

"No! I point money on serious things!" Kun said as he got some rice. "Putting on how many dumplings Bao can get in to his mouth... you call it serious!?" asked Qiao amused.

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"Would this be your offensive?" asked Shen to a furious Kang once outside, on the doorstep.

"Do you think you make me desist from my intentions? You're wasting your time! If necessary I will go head-to-head meeting at the dea..." the white peacock failed to finish the sentence that his father slapped him so hard that he fell to the ground next to him.

"You're a fool!" Kang yelled. The peacock jolted when he saw Xu and the others rush to them. "What you have in mind is suicide! Attacking humans is a crazy plan!" kept screaming the peacock.

Shen was still stunned and shocked by the blow he received and could not answer as he watched the parent beeless and massaged his cheek.

Xu helped his friend get back on his feet and snarled at Kang as a warning, making him intend to be relegated.

"That's why..." The peacock continued... "your escape plan..." Now he was trying to get in the way? Shen felt his bowels burn on fire because of the wrath that grew inside him. Was he weak to such an extent?

No, the most appropriate question was: could he turn against his father? Kang loved both him and his brothers, which was what drove him to stand in their way, and Shen didn't know what to do!

"_There are days when you have to fight and others when you better give up. The difficulty lies in understanding what day it is today_" the words that the Master had told him a few days earlier only increased the confusion.

He had changed, he was no longer the emotionless Prince before whom everyone had to bow and that he had to show the world that he had earned his place on the throne of Gong Men... he was alone... Shen! And he had finally found a family! How could he destroy it for a stupid dream? Maybe living in the reserve wouldn't have been bad! Maybe that was their destiny! Failure should have opened his eyes, but he kept going with his head down!

No! It couldn't go like this! The family doesn't weaken you by forcing you to submit to kang. It gives you the strength to fight back!

He would never have bent over in front of such despicable beings as human!

And if he had been forced to fight his own family, he would have done it!

"... needs to be improved!" finished saying Kang.

Everybody stop!

Shen and the others remained even more surprised at the peacock they believed to be their enemy until recently.

"I let myself be dominated by fear! I'm not leaving my family! But I will not let them risk their lives just because we are divided instead of being united! That's why I decided to join you and improve the plan so that everyone can survive!" explained the peacock, though the terror in his eyes was evident. Kang approached Shen and hugged him, "I love you, my son!" He said, then detached himself from him, keeping his wings on the young peacock's shoulders, "But I needed to let off steam and let you down! You can't do it all by yourself because you're not and never will be!" Kang said with a smile.

"Thank you father! You honor me!" Shen said, bending his head slightly, suddenly forgetting the slap, since his father's words made him feel that feeling he had been looking for all his life: love!

For him, his father was willing to completely turn his life around and go against what he believed and considered as a family.

"You are the one who honors yourself by supporting your ideas and never giving up!" Kang said before turning to the small group of animals who had witnessed the whole scene.

"No one can make us feel inferior without our consent! And I will follow my son Shen on the road to freedom!" He said loudly.

The others cheered by cheering their new guidance!

**Unfortunately, such a clash was inevitable! **

**Change always scares everyone, including me. **

**I think we must be changeable, as nature is. **

**And on the other hand, I believe that every clash with one's parents only tightens the relationship if afterwards there is a reconciliation with an effort on both sides. **

**Ok. I confess it: in writing the dialogues with the Master I have a lot of fun! He always manages to have the last word and everything he says makes me think anyone, not just the character! **

**What do you think? Expectations? **

**See you soon, **

**X-98**


	32. Chapter 32

**UNEXPECTED LAPELS**

"_Side kick bouncing. It's a pushed side kick. You have to charge by lifting your knee high from the ground and rotating your hip... without falling like a cucumber to the ground because of the loss of balance!"_

Lei thought before finding herself sore on the ground. She got up at once and stared in amazeed Shen and Sheng as they trained together. Sometimes they used Shen's technique, the Cailifo, and Sheng's, Kung Fu. They had become so good that they seemed to be imagining each other reflected in each other's mirror.

"You're distracted!" Mei scolded her side by side. "It's been over a year! When are we going to get out of here? Shen keeps talking about freedom and making promises he hasn't kept so far!" She complained about the feline.

"He just wants to make sure that this time the plan is successful and..." "It's too long we've been waiting!" Lei burst out and turned to Mei a hard look "Well!" The friend said offended, "Then think about it!" She said furiously and made to leave "Sorry! Failing to unload the tension by fighting the dump on you! I'm going to insult those who deserve it!" Lei said, disappearing through the thick vegetation.

Mei moved her tail nervously. Impatience! It was becoming a problem!

The animals had lost confidence in the peacock from failure, even in themselves to say the truth! And ever since Kang let himself be convinced, they were nervous and nervous.

She absolutely had to find a way to calm the waters because that would not have benefited him in the precarious situation.

The reflection of his glorious plans was interrupted by the sound of the bell. All those in the clearing were frozen on the spot, except to start a race soon after. Mei's momentary distraction was paid dearly, as she was crushed in the snow and overtaken by two white peacocks. Thanks to the long feathers of the rump he was able to distinguish them as Chu and Chong, so that she could think afterward of the terrible revenge that would be fell on them.

She smiled, thinking how childish their behavior was at times and how much he appreciated this characteristic of the relationship he established with his friends.

Once they had gathered in front of the door from which the newcomers were "thrown". Since humans did not use any care in getting them out of cages and freeing them, there was no other way to describe it!

This time their number was unusually high!

An eagle was brought in, to Huo's delight, since he was a male. An albino mooce, a duck, an albino fox, a deer, a skunk, a dog, a raccoon, a melanic viper and an albino serval.

"But how the hell did he catch so many in such a short time?" Dishi wondered that like many he kept a safe distance for the time being!

"We must destroy that thing!" Xu said, referring to the airship.

"I agree!" Mei said as she curiously observed the new feline.

This time there was a wide variety of species in the collector's new cargo, but that young girl reminded her so much of herself when she had been captured four years earlier. By now, having to look after herself and with experience, she could say that she was a completely different person from the fearful and shy one who had walked through the gates years before, even if it had not been a long time!

Derek had hurt her very badly, but on the other hand she had been able to take advantage of this and instead of breaking down she had endured showing herself very strong in the eyes of many!

This had completely changed her life, but the idea of living with a small group of the reserve animals, including Shen, did not mind or frighten her as a prospect for the future.

She was returned with her feet on the ground when Kang began her usual speech.

As soon as everyone started to show up Huo wasting no time and ran towards the male of his species, who apparently called himself Shan, starting to make the fainting. If it wanted to be a courtship or just a way to get noticed... For Mei it was more of a tactic to make yourself haunt and avoid! ... His parents were right! She was too critical! Lucky he had learned to keep his mouth shut!

Of course, if she had become infatuated with a male, the situation would have been even worse! But... weren't the males to make the first move? And why the hell did she do all those mental problems if, at the time, she wasn't infatuated with anyone!

She saw Shen leave with Shu, Hua, Xu and Syaoran and decided to follow them.

"You are not curious about..." "No!" The altered wolf answered. "Where are we going?" asked Mei by changing the speech "At Shen's House!" The wolf said, "Miniature humans are waiting for us there, or we will have to wait, it depends on who does it first!" Xu said.

"Rose will expose us to her new plan! If we think it's good then we'll proceed with the preparations, otherwise the guys will have to work on it again!" Shen explained.

"Why do we do it to them?" Skeptical Hua asked, "Because they know their world better than we do!" Xu responded nervously. He didn't trust humans either, and he was aware that he had to keep his distrust to a minimum to prevent him from somehow ruining the plan.

Apparently they were the two of them making the boys wait. Rose, Sam and four other humans were on the doorstep of the white peacock's house.

"Hi guys! These are Caleb, Beatrice, Adam and Teo, some of our friends who have agreed to help us! While they are Shen, Hua, Mei, Syaoran, Xu and Shu" ended up presenting Rose.

"Pleasure! Could you translate it please?" asked Theo happy as an Easter. He was the only one of the newcomers to release pure positive energy.

Not that the others had not been happy or curious, only suspicion and distrust were the cause of the palpable tension that was created between the two groups.

"Look, they understand perfectly what we say!" Rose said as he headed for the door. "What? And why not us?" He asked the boy shocked.

"Good question! I don't know! Only I can understand them!" Rose replied that she had never been so fooled so much by that unique and strange fact!

"It's absurd! Because they understand us even if they write in a language very similar to Chinese!" He said, "They can't write?" Curious asked Adam "No! They write differently!" Rose said. "But couldn't we find someone capable of translating whether it's Chinese or something?" Adam asked, "We could!" Said Sam, "But it's better to keep in touch with my father to a minimum!" Rose added.

"I still don't understand how they understand us?!" said Theo was looking too curiously at the animals in front of him.

"Perhaps the same thing happens that allows Rose to talk to them!" Sam said, "What?" Asked Adam shocked "And how do I know?" asked his angry friend.

The sound of a door closing made the boys turn to the house "They went in!" Teo explained.

"Very nice these here!" Beatrice complained, "Imagine your captors coming to see you! You wouldn't be over the moon either!" Caleb said, "And who would they be?" asked the uncomfortable girl "Your parents!" The friend answered, causing general laughter. "Let's go! I don't want my father to find out I let you in! The sooner we finish, the less chance there are!" Rose said as he entered the house.

Her friend's parents were very rich, but they often traveled on business, which is why she was forbidden to leave the house until a certain time and many other boring rules. That's why the joke made you laugh. She knew what "living in a cage" meant... even if the situation was a little different! Because even Rose could have said the same thing since as a father he had... Him! Let's say more guardian since he destroyed his real family!

They sat on a big table "Remember the names!" Bea asked her friend, "Shen, Hua, Mei, Syaoran, Xu and Shu!" She said the girl pointed to the various animals.

"What news do you bring?" Shen asked, unable to stop looking at the four strangers badly.

"Then! Our plan is quite simple..." He began to say Rose and then stopped to think of a way to explain what they had in mind so that everyone understood "... one of you will come with us outside the reserve!" " Oh! Very simple!" sarcastically said the panther, "And it will help us to shut down the machine through which the guards can control every inch of the reserve." "It was enough to say that we are sending the hydroelectric power station into disarray, in addition to the emergency generators and the safety cameras will be useless!" specified Caleb bored.

Rose's slit glance was enough to sew his mouth.

"Adam and Theo will think about dividing humans so that they cannot communicate with each other, while you will attack the east side of the walls. There is a door big enough to get you all out in a short time and it is not many kilometers from the woods" continued the girl "But some of you will have to stay on the west side of the walls to distract humans. We will meet inside the castle and we will make the last remaining ones escape!" Beatrice concluded.

"If we attack from two sides they will be able to follow those who come out!" Shu said she was not convinced at all. "Don't you stunned them! Those who will be on the west side will have to try to buy time, but only once they escape will be on you that the guards will focus!" Sam answered once her friend had translated.

"How can you be sure?" Hua asked, showing complete distrust, "We will make the guards think that only "the diversions" are fighting and then fleeing! I will fall behind those who run away and cover them!" Caleb said.

"If all the guards chase them, how will the "diversions" get out of it unharmed?" Syaoran asked, "We will make sure to meet at a specific point in the castle, and from there Sam and I will rescue them. We will head to a precise point overlooking a narrow gorge that is on the opposite side of the final point of the match. From there the birds that can fly will take away those who can't fly disappearing into the forest below," Adam explained.

"If the first part succeeds, it won't be so hard!" Said the hopeful wolf.

"Don't underestimate the enemy! It wasn't even supposed to be the first time and look how it went!" Shen said he was deciding whether to accept or not.

"And you? You will definitely be caught!" Mei said that unlike many, she wanted to be sure to show at least some gratitude if the plan was successful.

"We're just kids! They won't do anything to us! Don't worry!" said Caleb with the air of a slit after the last observation of the feline had been translated.

"Tomorrow we will tell you whether to proceed! We need to study the plan well and assess whether it is feasible or not!" Shen said.

The perfectionist who was in him wanted to make sure to evaluate all possible complications and resolutions to see if the success rates were in their favor or against them!

"Perfect!" Rose said, "Do you want ice cream? I bought the canned cones!" said the girl as she and her friends walked out. A chorus of assent was the last thing Shen and the others heard before the door was closed.

"The plan doesn't sound bad to me, but I keep worrying!" Shu said he was eager to hear what the peacock thought.

"They're just kids! Even that brat who looked down on us!" Xu protested. "The first part of the plan is fully in their hands! So if it works, I say try the rest!" Mei said. "And if something goes wrong one of us will die!" Hua observed.

"Right... I hadn't thought of that!" confessed to the visibly embarrassed feline.

"We all risk our lives in this plan!" said Shen silenced everyone.

"We have to find solutions in case of problems" continued the peacock "That is?" Syaoran asked, "Last time humans reacted promptly. We have to be ready this time! Everyone will have a task: you have to study well the gate from which most will come out, the escape route of those who will remain behind, and block in advance the access routes to the reserve to prevent the guards from increasing!" Shen said after careful consideration.

"Every combat zone will have to be prepared and studied in our favor!" Said Shu, "How about we set up some traps? Humans like them so much! If they try them once I'm sure they'll go crazy for them later!" sarcastically said the wolf.

"Revenge?" Hua asked, "No, diversion!" Shen answered, unable to suppress a sneer.

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"Pleasure! I am Mei!" Said the feline as she sat next to the albino serval, "My name is Mayleen!" Said the other timidly.

After meeting with humans, she and the others had returned to the main square, where a welcome party was being held in honor of the newcomers.

The one considered most unique by Mei, was an albino mooce named Hai. He was in his thirties and from the many wounds he carried all over his body, it was evident that he had fought hard. The oldest was an albino fox named Fu while the youngest was an albino dog named Mao who seemed not to get along very well with the two wolves.

"At most it's got to seven," Juan said, "This time it's ten!" pressed Fai.

"Since we've been here, we've only increased in number!" Said Liu, one of the three twin sisters, daughters of Cheng and Yue. The first was one of Tai's four younger brothers.

"And without procreating!" Said Jiang, "This shows that there are many of us who are different, but few compared to most people!" Chong observed.

Shen ate silently by passively listening to the conversation among the other peacocks. He was more concerned about the impending clash than anything else. Although, when you think about it, the newcomers should have learned something in as little time as possible. They couldn't be completely unarmed!

He didn't know them at all, but since they were now in the reserve Shen felt a kind of responsibility towards them! He wouldn't leave anyone behind and as much as he tried to avoid... knew well that some loss would be inevitable!

"I've heard that you're the boss here!" A voice brought him back to reality and saw an eagle staring intently at him, "There is no leader! But if you're looking for a point of reference, I can introduce you to Kang, he's the one who takes care of most of the organization. If you need clothes, food or anything, talk to him," the peacock replied. He would have been their guide during the escape, but he had decided not to command anyone anymore, to ignore his title, forever. The fact that he felt everyone's safety as a personal duty was his own, nothing more.

"No, I was looking for you!" insisted the eagle, "I'm Shan! And I will never lower my head in front of anyone!" He said by slamming a wing on the table and attracting general attention. Mei, Xu, Shu and Hua approached the two angry men.

Kuen, Guo and Hao got behind the eagle with an intimidating act while Kang wasting no time and made to stay within earshot, ready to intervene if things got bad.

"You say you're not the boss, and yet they're all ready to protect you!" Shan mocked him.

"We're a family!" Said Mei, "And we protect each other!" Hua said, "So turn it around!" Xu said, growling.

"You say you don't want to submit, and yet your position says otherwise!" Shen provoked him with the calm of the world. "How dare you!" The rapacious screamed furiously.

He made to attack but stopped when the peacock began to speak "You have been captured by humans and one of them calls himself our master! In the end, they lowered your head anyway!" He continued to have fun Shen.

"No! Humans will never submit to me!" Shan yelled as if he didn't actually realize the situation, "Said the one who was in a cage!" Xu noted.

"Cage? There's no cage here! Those fools have freed us..." "... in a big cage! This is the reserve: a large piece of land surrounded by walls from which it is impossible to escape!" Huo finished the sentence for him.

As if he didn't want to win it, the rapacious soared" Then watch me walk away from madmen like you!" He screamed before he took up altitude.

"It will hurt!" Tai said, unsure. By now it was impossible to stop him!

"It will mean that he will learn from this experience!" Kueng said he was exasperated by the eagle's childish behavior.

A line of pain preceded Shan's fall to the ground at a different point than the one from which he had departed. The poor eagle was wrapped in a thick rope and it was the Master, aided by Huo, who freed him.

Shen waved his nervous tail.

There were no nets above their heads, but those deadly weapons that no one was trying to deal with.

They were like ballistas, but they threw thick ropes at the ends of which were iron balls that counterbalanced. Thanks to them, the rope was able to rotate and tangle around the target once it was hit. The peacock had spent a lot of time studying those weapons and now knew how to render them harmless since from some stories he knew they could also hurt. Luckily for him, Shan came out uninjured.

But it seemed that the eagle had not lowered the ridge even after that humiliating figure "You say it is impossible to get out of here!" shouted at Huo, "So why are there many white wolves outside the walls? Wolves like them!" He said pointing to Syaoran and Shu.

"What are you talking about?" Asked the poor female rapacious asked, "I saw them! In to the woods! For a moment, but there they were! They were also well armed!" Shan insisted, "The humans would have noticed! Don't bey us with your visions!" said Guo nervously moved his tail.

"Actually, we haven't howled in a long time!" Shu said suddenly full of hope. Did your family find her? How the hell did they reach the land of humans? To sail so long! To avoid being discovered by the collector!

The wolf howled and the answer made her jump with joy. "It's my family!" She screamed full of energy. "What?" Sheng asked, beered, "How?" Feng, one of Tai's brothers, asked, stunned. Many other surprised comments arose from many and followed others after the former alerted those who had left because of the irascible eagle.

"I have to write to him!" enthusiastically said the wolf rushing home.

"And I must talk to Rose!" Shen said, running to the gate. Mei decided to follow the wolf while Xu went after the peacock. Poor Syaoran remained in the forecourt, bewildered by the fast and unexpected unfolding of events.

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"That's great!" She screamed at the happy girl only to cover her mouth and look carefully around soon after, hoping that there had not been a guard close enough to hear her.

"At least we'll know what journey awaits us to go back!" Xu said apathetic.

"But I told you the course to take!" She defended the girl "Yes, but the duration was unknown for the moment!" He observed the feline "Right!" She surrendered.

"Why is it great? Now we risk them catching them too!" Shen said, voiced his concerns. "Yes, but the more we are, the greater the chances of success!" Rose said enthusiastically.

"That's true too!" Xu said. A rustle announced Mei's arrival. She was perhaps more unleashed than the wolf who after so many years had found her family.

"Then... Shu's writing a letter! So you're going to give it to the wolves outside the reserve!" explained the feline. Xu smiled sadisticinly in Shen's opinion.

The girl began to sweat cold "I-I? What? No! I don't know them! And I'm not sure they don't attack me, it's excluded!" She cut short.

"Quiet!" Shu said that she had arrived at that moment, "Above this letter is the coat of arms of my family! Show him and say I'll send you. They won't do anything to you because otherwise they couldn't communicate with me anymore!" said the wolf wailed like a happy puppy.

"Well I hope so! Otherwise you're going to have to stay in here for the rest of your life!" Rose said she didn't want to look like a coward even though she was dying inside.

As soon as the girl was gone Mei, Xu and Shu did the same, except to see that Shen had stayed in front of the gate and stared at him with extreme curiosity.

"All right?" Mei asked. "Yes, I'm trying to pinpoint the weaknesses of the structure!" She explained him briefly. "Then we go!" The feline said, disappearing among the vegetation along with the others.

No one had realized that two yellow eyes had fixed them all the time and were continuing to stare at the peacock that had been left behind.

"If you think this place is a good hiding place, you're so wrong! I can say I was very lucky when the humans caught me!" Shan said by taking an old sheet of parchment from his pocket. "There is a substantial reward for anyone who can take you back to GongMing... Lord Shen!".

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The following day Rose went to see the animals and fortunately it was still all the way. The plan had come together new allies!

"My pack has about 200 members! Once we get together, he should be able to keep the guards on the stand, no?" Asked Shu puzzled

"I don't think, remember that they own rifles with which it would not be difficult to shoot down numerous enemies!" Wei said not at all convinced of the escape plan. "And how do we do it then?" Guo asked frightened "Fireworks!" It was Shu's only answer.

"What if they hide in vegetation? It should be hard to spot them, no?" Lu- chu asked. "They are white wolves! So easier to see, even at night!" Explained Zhuang also against the idea of trying to escape.

The frontal confrontation cannot be avoided?" asked for Syaoran "No! Derek is guarding the 24 - hour wall in 24, telling me how we can avoid them?" Asked Hua tired of repeating the same things.

"Running from the dungeons?" Guo asked, "Have we had any memories before?" Hua asked, "Let's try again!" insisted on the panther.

"Don't you want to fight?" Lei asked him, "Of course you do!" He defended himself "Your words state otherwise!" Lei insisted, "Between having a hundred enemies or a few I prefer the second option!" He explained, "Then you're a coward!" The feline said, "No! Any! The fewer deaths there will be the better! That's it!" yelled Guo bruised with anger and embarrassment.

"Well in the meantime I check where I am!" Shu said before howling, amused by the bickering. The response was immediate, but as the wolf got on all fours and growled soon after, everyone present realized something was wrong!

"Did they insult you?" asked Lang Min with an obvious veil of sarcasm.

"I don't know them!" Shu said with confidence and fear. "Do they enlist new members for the herd?" asked Mei, "Can they do this even without your approval?" Zhuang asked. "It's not any member of my pack that's got to answer me! It's other wolves! Hua could you take a look and tell me what you see?" He said turning to the owl that was perched above them.

"I see... I see..." "Don't be a fortune teller!" Mei yelled. "Wolves!" Said Hua, "We had got here, thank you!" Shen said tense as anyone.

"Wolves..." "We get it!" growled Shu "... Black!... have swords very similar to yours, you know Shen?" said Hua landed elegantly on the ground.

"What?" The white peacock asked in disbelief to hear this. "I said..." Shen rumorously pasted "...Damn you! I will be deaf if you keep yelling at me in my ears! " complained the owl.

A howl replied to Shen and he had no doubt: It was Zhan!

**Hello everyone! **

**Sorry if I delayed publishing, but being always locked up in the house because of the ordinances, makes you lose track of time and I can never follow the days of the week that go by fast! **

**I finally decided what the action plan will be and I decided, suddenly thanks to a last minute idea, to give the fugitives another hand! **

**The final confrontation is getting closer and I hope not to disappoint anyone! **

**What do you think? Any idea or bet on how it will end? **

**See you soon, **

**X-98**


	33. Chapter 33

**CLASHES**

"Let me get this straight: would these strangers be mercenaries who fought with you several years ago?" Shu asked, made nervous that there was a rival herd near hers. It would have been more aguess to say that they occupied their territory, but since they were in a world ruled by humans, nothing was normal!

"That's right! Their alpha is a childhood friend of mine, we can trust them!" Shen said, knowing full well that the wolves among them could be extremely faithful and with those strangers to the very aggressive herd.

The peacock did not wait for the wolf's response as it seemed to have enchanted itself and ran to their home. Once inside he took a scroll and began to write. "_Zhan, you were the last person I expected to meet. I don't know how you managed to find me, but the situation is very dangerous at the moment._

_The humans who have captured me should not be underestimated, they are strong and very cunning. Don't attack for any reason and wait for my next instructions. In a few days, I'm going to put in place a plan to defeat this scum, and your help could help us. The pack of white wolves is our ally, as much as you can see to work with them until it's all over._

_Lord Shen, Prince of the City of GongMing."_

Once the message was over Shen bent him over and ran to the castle gate.

There he found Mei and Xu waiting for him, "Shu decided to trust you, not them. So I hope this "friend" in which you place so much trust will remember you!" said the female feline looked very suspicious, as if he was in danger, even if it wasn't his job to deliver the message.

Fa appears on the other side of the gate and put a paw between the bars to get the letter delivered. He was surprised when he saw that the peacock approached him without giving it to him "I urgently need to talk to Rose!" He said all too formally. That is, they knew each other well and the owl wondered why that sudden change by the peacock.

"Now it's evening! And she can't go out after a few hours! I'm sorry!" Said the owl.

Shen cursed the rules of that damn edret with all known imprecations. He couldn't wait till tomorrow afternoon! Zhan could have decided to act! He had heard numerous howls, a sign that the wolves were moving: they were looking for him! The sooner he would have warned him and the less damage there would have been!

Then an enlightenment caught him and turned to the owl "I want to talk to you in private if it's not a problem for you!" he said, looking at the two felines.

"Why can't we listen?" asked Mei that unlike Xu, who was already heading to a different place, she had stood firm in her place.

"Why..." "Are you hiding anything from us?" asked the feline angry "No, I'll tell you in another time!" Cut the peacock short "What difference does it make now and later?" She asked for more and more furious and disappointed "I.. " "Might be a different thing from what you're gonna say to it! We're not dumb!" She insisted on it.

"SHUT UP!" Shen shouted completely out of patience.

"Good!" Mei said and started to leave carrying a storm but a voice made everyone turn towards a direction "Some trouble? Lord Shen, Prince of the city of Gongmen!" Shan was landed on a big branch and looked like it was there forever.

"Lord?" Repeat Xu "Prince?" Asked for shock Mei. "Now we are so many people know your secret!" Fa observed incapable of articulating a more sensible sentence because of the surprise. He knew who the peacock really was, but he didn't think he was meeting someone else with the same awareness! At least not there, on the collector's reservation!

"How do you know me?" The peacock asked to look at the eagle, as well as angry at the fact that he was so easily unmasked. "I've heard many stories! Some people think that you ran off with a prostitute and that you will never return to your city because of your parents' disapproval, others think you're dead, but people like me were sure you were alive, hiding somewhere! Even if that's not the case, you're still alive, so the substantial reward that Gong Ming's rulers have put on you is valid for anyone who provides information about your current position or takes you back!" finished explaining Shan.

"Are you a Prince?" Xu asked, "Why didn't you tell us?" Mei asked curiously.

"It would have been better if you had found out once out of here! Derek doesn't have to know! He could use me to get something from my parents and I don't want that to happen!" Shen said, "We would never betray you, you know?" asked the feline offended by that distrust ,"And letting you know something like this would put you in grave danger!" The peacock continued and Mei had to think again, "So see if you want to be free!" Shen said, addressed to the eagle.

"All right! I'm going to keep my mouth shut, as long as once you get back to China, you're going to come with me so I can get the reward!" decreed Shan.

Shen incinerated him with his eyes. How dare you? He was threatening him! Was he so stupid that he didn't realize he'd put himself in danger if he revealed that?

"He... will do what he wants!" Said Xu growling, "Try to threaten him again and you'll regret it!" Mei said, putting himself in a combat position.

"Derek is ruthless when he wants to get something, so I advise you to keep this information to yourself!" said Fa, giving strength to his friends.

The silence that followed was full of tension. There was a race of looks, especially between the peacock and the eagle that seemed to end with a fight... but in the end Shan, realizing he was outnumbered, decided to give up. He would find another way to get the much-coveted reward once they ran away. "All right! For now, it is impossible for me to contact the rulers of Gong Ming... but you're alert Prince, because when I see a good deal I never leave it, and I say never, escape!" Shan said before he flew away.

"So you're a Prince!" observed Mei once the impostor had wandered away. "No!" said Shen nervously "Instead of you!" Xu said he seemed pleased to have made such a discovery. "So the wolves out here are the royal guards, my lord?" asked Mei with a grin, "Don't call me that! I have renounced my title and all that it entails a long time ago!" said Shen was furious as he began to enter the woods, momentarily forgetting the note to give to Zhan.

"As you wish, my lord!" Xu said, hinting at a bow. "Stop it!" yelled Shen, dropping the feline to the ground with a blow of his tail.

"Are you going to stay there much longer?" asked Mei staring at Xu who looked like a carpet "Sure! I would never allow myself to hit a Prince!" He answered, unable to hold back a laugh. Mei also laughed and as he watched a furious Shen walk away, he told himself mentally that he absolutely had to talk to him about this truth, which had been hidden up to that point.

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Rose ran perforated down the path. It was May and the mild weather characterized every day. In the evening it was cool and it was an advantage because so she would not come home all sweaty.

In the past she loved to take walks immersed in nature, sometimes even delving into the vegetation. Of course, it had been very risky, but she had always found her way home and this had prompted her to try again. On the bright side, her sense of direction had improved markedly in that part of the forest, too bad that the area chosen for the escape was different and unknown to her.

She hated relying on maps! They just made her more confusing! But at that moment she had to do so, since the meeting point with the white wolves was quite far away and she, not to suspect her father, could not afford even the lightest of delays. She stopped next to a large oak tree that grew behind a huge boulder. Fortunately she understood these animals too, but being... free, they instilled fear. Her friends, once they left the reserve, would never scare her, but maybe it was because she knew them well. Let's just say she trusted peacocks more than others.

It was only then that she realized that their friendship would be put to the test during that time. Being free, they would show her who they really were: either beasts thirsting for vengeance, or the friends she had learned to know!

This crossroads worried her greatly, but she trusted Kang and was certain that if she stayed by her side, nothing would happen to her.

A growl in the distance heralded the arrival of the wolves. They didn't seem to trust themselves, too, perhaps because they feared that she was holding their friends hostage?!

But when a figure appeared in front of her she felt like the cat with the mouse: trapped! That wasn't the pack leader he'd previously talked to! It wasn't to him that he delivered Shu's first letter!

That is, a wolf does not change the color of the hair from one day to the next! And this canid was black! Soon she realized she was completely surrounded!

The wolf in front of her was the biggest, so he was the alpha.

"H-hello! I-I'm not in t-trying trouble... y-you where do you come from?" Rose asked, unable to stop shaking. "Pleasure... i-I... my name is Rose! I-I'm the daughter of the c-collector w-who boasts the b-b-best, r-rare and unique a-animals of the world!" At this rate she would have died of heartbreak, little but sure!

"Rare animals?" He asked for a wolf looking suspiciously at his boss.

"Do you have white peacocks?" asked for another, earning a punch from the alpha because of the fluency of his tongue, most likely.

"M-many white peacocks!" The girl answered reflexively. But she was dumb! What if they wanted to hurt his friends? "_You must feel the ground first, jerk!"_

After mentally recovering, Rose decided to add, "B-but you can't h-hurt them!" So, for safety. Even if without a threat that phrase was just useless "_Good Rose, keep it up and tomorrow you won't get there!"_.

But why did the animals trust her? She was just stupid! In this particular case it could be called dinner, or dessert, it depended on whether the wolves had already eaten the main course or not!

Reflecting on it though... her father had received complaints about cattle killed by wild animals! The makers could have been the other wolves and not these! But can two herds stay so close? Rose had read a lot about wolves, indeed, if she had to confess, she had read a lot about every species of animal that was in the reserve at the time! Returning to the canids, she knew that they aggressively defend the territory, especially with a rival herd occupying it. Was a war about to break out outside the walls? This wouldn't have benefited them at all!

"Where are the white peacocks you're talking about?" asked the alpha to divert her from her thoughts.

"First tell me why you and your herd are here?" asked her trying to appear confident "Tell us where I am!" growled the wolf "Otherwise you'll be our dinner!" Added.

The main course! What a highlight! What an honor! Yes, but she didn't care about that occasion since she cared about life!

"No! It's my job to protect them!" She screamed gripped by a rush of courage that who knows where he had come from! "Protect them?" asked a wolf, "She's the first human who can understand us!" Another said. "The first and only!" pressed her.

"Why do you want to protect them? And from what?" asked the alpha to look bad at it. "I want to protect them from those who want to put them in cages or kill them! They're my family!" Rose said at last sure of herself.

"We also want to protect a white peacock!" admitted the alpha.

After a few minutes of silence she was the one who said, "Nice, if you don't tell me who, I can't help you, let him know about your arrival!".

"Shen!" The wolf answered. "Lord Shen? The Prince of GongMing?" asked the girl who was certain she didn't get it right.

The wolf moved his tail and straightened his back. If for happiness or nervousness Rose just could not say it. "We have sworn allegiance to our Prince! We've been looking for him for years and finally managed to find him!" say the Alpha smiling or... railing?

His body language was very different from Shu and syaoran!

"Can I ask you one last question?" The girl asked "What do you want?" The nervous wolf asked "How did you get here?" She asked cautiously "With a ship! Why?" He asked suspiciously "Because there are defenses along the perimeter of the island! I'm surprised you managed to avoid them ... " "... our ships were sunk! " The alpha interrupted her. "W-what?" Rose asked incredulously, staring at the wolf as if she wanted to make sure it was true and not a mirage, as much as it was the amazement to see that he was still alive!

"Many of my men are dead, but not all! We survivors have hidden when we realized we were in foreign lands!" kept telling the Alpha. "How did you find us?" She asked you. "We've circled the island. The sounds of peacocks have attracted us here!" The wolf answered.

Well, if before there was the means to allow the animals to leave the island, now it had been destroyed! Thinking about it Shen had talked about building a ship once out... so problem solved!

"Arrive at the right time!" eventually told the girl, "We are going to put in place an escape plan that will allow all the animals trapped to..." poor Rose could not finish the sentence that white wolves came out of every bush and every shadow attacking black ones!

In a moment of panic, the girl climbed up a tree and was horrified when she noticed the wolves trying to kill each other. What she had read was right: two herds in the same territory fight each other!

In the midst of all that confusion she could see the alpha with which she had spoken until a few seconds before and that of the other herd! They were facing each other!

She had to do something! It was crazy, but she had to try! Otherwise no one would have run away from the reserve! And her father would have either killed or taken these animals captive too!

She came down from the tree in a hurry, though in the eyes of many wolves it seemed more like a mature fruit that detached from a branch and fell to the ground!

After mentally saying all the known profanities, in all the languages she knew (because they are the first thing you learn when studying a new language) she ran, limping towards her goal. She fell to the ground and also made a somersault to avoid wasting time, until he found himself between the two alphas who, to the surprise, forgot about each other's presence.

"Stop!" yelled the girl and was stoned when she saw all the other wolves stop fighting and stare at her in amaze.

Behind him was the black wolf, in front of the white one. She glanced at both of them and set out in such a way that he didn't turn his back on either of them. Thus he would have prevented the one who did not look into the eyes from feeling belittled in relation to the other!

"You want to save your white peacock!" She said as she turned to his left where the black wolf was, "And you want to help a member of your pack escape!" Rose said, turning his head to the right, "You are allies! You want to free those you care about and both are behind those walls!" said the girl pointed to the imposing wall in the distance. They were in a high point and far enough away to allow them to observe the magnificence and vastness of the grandiose reserve!

"If you fight among yourself, you will only waste time! The human who holds them captive will not let them escape without doing anything... and if he notices you will try to catch you or kill you! If you are allied, you can work together to free them and their chances of success will increase!" Rose said, hoping that the wolves would ignore the instinct for the sake of loved ones they had long been looking for.

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It wasn't the first and it wouldn't be the last! That's what Shen was sure about!

Once back in China many might have tried to capture him.

Whether for the reward or to ask for an even greater sum by blackmailing his... Sovereign!

It had been almost five years! And although it seemed like a short period of time, within the reserve it seemed to have been infinite.

And that, in the end, was his real family!

His past would come back to haunt him, but he would think about it in due course.

He came into the house and a good perfume hit him.

It's been almost five months since he and Lang Min were together! As the weather got longer, Shen gave her a few gifts, but today was a special day!

She would have turned her birthday and everyone, no one excluded, had decided to throw a big party!

Her task was to lure her to the main square where the others were lurking, although the smell of the good dinner she had prepared narrowly managed to make him change his mind!

Eventually he regained and decided to take action.

"I see you've been busy!" Shen said, appearing behind his beloved and scaring her. "Shen!" She took it back. He loathed his ability to reach anyone behind, sneaking up, without making the slightest noise!

In war it would have been very useful, but at the time it was just very irritating!

"You have to learn to notice my presence, otherwise in a real fight you will be one of the first to fall!" He said the peacock provoked her.

"And you have to learn that we're not in the middle of a war, so you might as well stop moving like a spectre!" Lang Min responded by getting very close to him, only to pretend to want to kiss him and move on to the last.

Shen snorted. He hated it when he did! It was definitely unbearable!

Of course, as a gentleman, even if he was no longer a nobleman, he respected customs: he would make it his own once they had moved!

It was true that a few kisses and hugs had exchanged them, but they had never gone further!

Unfortunately he would have had to wait a long time! It still seemed too soon for him!

In fact, she was the first woman to reciprocate her love! What if he's infatuated with someone else? What if... a howl distracted him from reflecting on the unfortunate futures in which he and Lang Min would be divided!

"All right?" She asked when she saw her beloved look out of the window with do worry.

They were closer to the walls! So more in danger! Shen cursed himself for letting himself be distracted by that damn Shan and not delivering the letter!

Humans had certainly noticed wolves, but for some strange reason they hadn't done anything yet! It had to act before that happened!

But by now it was too late! How could he do that?

He left the house running only to stop because of someone who had grabbed him by a wing. "What's going on with you? Tell me please! Can I help you?" Lang Min seemed visibly concerned by his suddenly unsafe behavior.

Shen began to walk looking around. Throwing the message over the walls would have attracted the attention not of one, but of all the guards present. His call was risky because he could agitate the wolves that were looking for him, giving them confirmation of his presence, prompting them to attack!

"Shen stop!" The peacock turned and saw Lang Min running to meet him. Did he have to tell him? Do you share with you those concerns that had been gripping him for hours? Or avoid such a torture?

Shen realized that they had strayed a long way from home and remembered the surprise! Taken by his thoughts he had still managed to do what seemed impossible to him: lure out Lang Min!

He started walking again, but with a goal in mind.

"Shen, what's going on? Did the wolves tell you anything? Did something happen?" She asked, frightened by the concern she saw in the other's eyes.

"Those wolves... I don't know them!" He admitted, "Yes, but Shu claims they're his herd! We can trust you!" said she grabbed a wing and started walking arm in arm.

"I don't know!" Shen confessed by stopping in the middle of the forecourt. Lucky that his house was not very far from it.

"Listen, there's nothing we can do about it now! So let's go home! Beside the fire! Tomorrow we'll think of something!" She said pulling him for a wing.

"Now that I think about it, Lang Min, I haven't wished your birthday yet!" said Shen took the wings of her in hers. "I've noticed it! And you're sure you're not going to get a lightness like this!" She said she was approaching her face against that of him.

"SURPRISE!" The scream was so loud, as well as being accompanied by numerous fireworks (kindly offered by Rose since Shen's were more glorious purposes) that even Shen leapt in fear, clutching Lang Min tightly.

"Happy birthday!" yelled Mei hugging her friend and falling to the ground together because of too much momentum. "Then she does it on purpose!" Shu said, watching the two friends laughing on the ground, referring to the feline's vice of knocking anyone down at any time!

Numerous large fires were lit around which the animals danced. Bao and others were playing party music, enticing anyone to follow the rhythm with their bodies. Pretty much anyone.

Kang sat next to Shen, "That's why we fight!" Said the peacock pointing to all those present and their happiness.

"For the holidays? Then I hope for a defeat!" Shen said sarcastically, though he understood the true meaning of his father's words. He was nervous because since the beginning of the party Lang Min had not dignified him with a look! Yet it was his idea to surprise the party! Could it have been that he ruined the evening with his own wings?

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you have to live forever!" Jingjing said as he approached the two peacocks. "Why don't you join the party?" The Master asked. "I can't dance! And I don't like parties!" Said the peacock.

"Then why did you organize it?" asked his father, "Why had Lang Min never had a party for his birthday! I wanted something special now that we're together!" He confessed.

"I don't like to see you here and in a bad mood! Go with the other Shen!" Kang said, resting a wing on his son's shoulder in an attempt to convince him.

"I don't even think about it! I don't want to ridicule myself!" He said, deviating from his father's touch. "Shen! What we want is to see you happy! I'm sure if you don't join the festivities, you'll regret it!" Lu-Chu said that as always she stood next to her husband.

"That's what my parents told me! Just like the love they said to feel for me!" Shen thought he still didn't trust him completely. More than he believed in the sovereigns, but the seed of doubt was not yet rotted at all!

"We don't know what a parent's love for a child is until we become parents ourselves," the Master said, smiling in the direction of the young peacock. Well! Then he would have waited to become a father! Shen decided not to respond to that blatant provocation.

"You know, if I'm in danger because of you, I'll be brave just because I know I'm going to be fighting for you. For a friend of mine!" said Mei distracted the peacock's attention from the party.

Shen turned around and saw that Kang and his wife had joined the festivities, so he could speak freely.

"I want to avoid putting you in danger, as far as possible! I'm sorry I hid something like that for you!" Shen said before drinking some wine.

Mei smiled and made him realize that she had already forgiven him.

Xu came up with "Very Noble!" He said alone. Shen's crest lowered, "You've eavesdropped!" He accused him, "Only what you two said!" He confessed the feline with a glacial calm.

"These will be the last moments of peace before the clash!" Mei said, watching those dancing by the fire. "You have to see when we decide to attack! The human said that August would be the best time! At that time all his fellows stop doing their duty!" Xu said, referring to the summer holidays, swallowing a whole radish.

"Yes, but... many may not make it!" admitted Mei was visibly upset at the idea of losing some friends. "They won't have died in vain!" Shen said.

"You're in danger of dying too, you know that, don't you?" asked Xu amused that her friend always cared before others than herself. It was a noble thought, but strange!

"We all risk it! And I have to say that for now the idea does not scare me!" Lei said she had been lured by the feline's last question. "Let's see how you're going to be when it comes time to fight!" Xu provoked her.

"Of course I know! Only there's little hope that everyone will be able to escape!" Mei said heartbroken. "It's true, but there! Don't make a gust of a hurricane! When the time comes we will worry!" Lei said, trying to lift her friend's spirits.

"In life it is sometimes necessary to know how to fight not only without fear, but also without hope!" The Master said before heading to the table full of delicious dishes.

"Now I feel better!" Said Mei before burst to laugh and dragged Lei by the fire, where everyone had decided to forget future problems, focusing on that moment full of happiness.

**Yes I know! I'm late for publication again! I apologize to everyone! **

**The wolves have reconciled and communications are only thanks to Rose! **

**There are those who enjoy the holidays and those who fail, with the mind already running towards the imminent clash that will take place with humans! **

**Let me know what you think, reviews and personal comments I really appreciate them! **

**X-98**


	34. Chapter 34

**THE BEGINNING OF THE END**

The excitement was a lot. The presence of wolves had given courage and hope in the most sceptical. If before, impatience was only a few and therefore manageable problem, it had now become a good complication.

In an attempt to appease the spirits Shen, after stealing old iron objects from the cellars, had started making weapons of all kinds for all those who still had nothing. Ashes, swords, spears and any other kind of weapon he could think of!

Rose stole some of his father and he didn't notice because the only room they were kept was locked. Too bad a door with locks couldn't stop ghosts!

Some whips, a whip, a whip, an alabard, a morning star and some kinds of raided bat was what humans had unconsciously and kindly offered. Moreover, they were very first-class items stolen from their homeland. They couldn't hope for better!

"Is it me who understood wrong or are we not allowed to hurt humans?" Lei asked you to practice morning training with her new whip.

"Things have changed apparently." Xu said that he seemed to be born with his sharp weapon with a chain and ring, as he handled it with mastery despite it for so little time.

"We can hurt them but not kill them! Their death would draw too much attention." Mei said as he tried to get along with his steel whip.

Shen had done a wonderful job, only that weapon was more dangerous to the cat than to others.

"Right! The fight that will begin, but will not be seen." Sarcastic Xu said.

Tai-Yang and Xia burst into their midst too distracted by the fight to worry about where they were and who overturned with their impetus.

The Master had done a good job in four years. But not everyone was so... the most recent weapons had just two months and in such a short time it was hard to get familiar enough to become professionals.

Mei tried to join the fight, but a stick came between her and her goal. She turned her head and saw the Master. "I just wanted to see if they could block my deadly whip." she justified herself. Like she's gonna find a loophole from his father's lectures...

"The brute force not ruled by reason ruins under its own weight," said the Master, "This new weapon of yours gives you infinite possibilities to attack and confuse the enemy, you only have to see them!" He explained the ant before he followed the two cats who seemed to want to kill each other.

"I would have preferred a sword by far." screamed Mei by throwing the whip on the ground and expressing his frustration.

"Hong and Yong think differently!" Said Lang Min, just arrived and close to the murder of Mei's weapon.

Those two hurricanes were thrilled when they had received their swords at first! As soon as they realized the huge variety of weapons their interest had vanished, going to less common objects, than cutting weapons, such as the bat whips or the two-sections stick.

But Kang was irremovable, or the sword or nothing! The two peacocks were still too young to handle such complicated weapons and his wife had agreed that it was better they risk hurting others instead of themselves.

Shen arrived shortly after his girlfriend. He held his new weapon: the sword of the sun and the moon! It looked a lot like an original guan dao, only that it had the blade sharp on both ends and the blade had the sharp shape of the guan dao. He would have kept using that old one, modified to be launch and sword at the same time, but his use would have decreased when this new weapon had not become a part of himself.

It was some kind of rebirth! Now that was his family that changed it and accepted it as it was! The sword of the sun and the moon would have used it to protect them!

"Hello, everyone!" Rose's voice preceded her appearance from behind a big bush. Sam behind her looked like a violin rope. The boy was aware that his presence was only tolerated because of his friend and since he saw how much maestry, some animals, handled their weapons, decided to be noticed and feel as little as possible, to avoid further trouble.

"My father has noticed something strange, but it appears the wolves are good at hiding!" Said the girl by putting a roll of scroll to the white peacock.

"_Lord Shen, We searched the territory. To reach the mountain caves there is only one road through the woods that can be avoided meeting humans. It's dangerous for us to be too close to the walls of the place where they keep you locked up, the humans doubled their guard and hunt us in the woods. I'm waiting for orders._

_Zhan."_

"Will you do that in August only?" asked the peacock to destroy what they called the "hydroelectric power plant" and that it would allow them to go unnoticed.

"Yes, many go on holiday at that time and a friend's father will allow us to visit you, and that will make it easier to sneak inside," Rose said annoyed. Time never passed!

By forgetting to thank, Shen started to Shu's house. They had to discuss and make decisions together if they wanted the packs not to destroy each other. In those five months, she's wolves had stolen food supplies that would serve during the shipbuilding period to leave the damn world, while her hers, who arrived later, had found a cave large enough for them to contain them all and with direct access to the sea for the vessels once they were completed.

He put his new weapon on wooden support specially designed to hide and keep the large number of new resources. From what Rose learned, humans could see outside their homes and until Kung Fu was practiced, there was no problem. The guards thought they were some kind of trivial arguments without any logical reason... but if they saw the weapons, they would have taken a huge risk! So, weapons, they could never leave a large enough clearing away from the walls, from the houses and from the castle! It was a good thing they didn't find the forge because they had "almost" eyes everywhere!

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Lunch time came and Shen came back to his house where he knew Lang Min was making a delicious meal. Lucky her father had taught her cooking lessons to make her the perfect consort... for almost eight months they were together and the peacock realized how time flew. Soon it would have been five years since he was captured!

His life had changed and he didn't feel the same. He would have destroyed the enemy without thinking twice, and now he listened with interest to the Master's words, even though he tried to hide it as much as possible! His pride was still! A little torn because of jokes and daily living, but something had survived!

If some things had changed, others had remained the same! Meditating was out. Patience was never his strong suit, and maybe it never would have been! He tried every way to stop commanding and feeling obeyed, but it wasn't for him. Even if he said otherwise Shen knew he was born to rule!

At least this would have set a bright future for all animals once they return to China. With his political experience Shen would have found a place to call home and made it prosperous. In the past, he had not done much for Gong Men but was careful at the many meetings during which the father requested his presence and listened to many of his lessons.

"Are you all right?" Mei's voice turned him around. She was standing at the door and apparently he would have had lunch with them, nothing else could have justified her presence. He was taking his thoughts at risk of pulling right...!

The peacock didn't answer, I didn't say, it wasn't good at all!

Once at the table, Shen realized it wouldn't be the quiet, intimate lunch you expected. Sheng and Xian were fighting hard, as always, Mei and she were arguing about some combat techniques, Lang Min and Xing were talking about cooking and he was fighting with Shu.

"I do not trust them! They're mercenaries! They'd sell to anyone if the deal was beneficial! They are a risk to our lives and the plan!" Said the wolf growling.

"They will obey" cut short Xu "Are you a fortune teller?" asked Shu to lower his angry ears, "I trust my instincts!" The cat answered. "Then we are in a bad way, since your prodigious instinct has never even won you a bet." Said the wolf walking out and leaving the house without even finishing eating! I can tell you she was really annoyed!

Shen didn't waste time and followed her by a wheel, "Is this the time to have second thoughts?" He yelled at the wolf "You will be a coward, but I will not waste years of planning because of your fears!" Said the peacock. He turned around and went back to where he came from, but he was on the ground even before he took a step.

"I am a coward only because you are a incapable! I will not be surprised if we are to face another failure." screamed the wolf holding him on the ground. They stayed with Shu for a few minutes that he didn't want to let go of the peacock.

"Is this a good thing to you? Are you dogs not really able to have a civil conversation?" asked Shen that he was starting to feel pain in the wing that she had blocked so that she wouldn't let him go.

"I will only be happy when my pack destroys those few wolves who are faithful to you." answered Shu whispering in his ear, "My brothers risked a lot! My parents ….died trying to bring me home and I will not let others risk their lives just because you, sold by your family to humans, are desperate enough to place their trust in filthy mercenaries."

Unveiled the mystery! Until a few days before the wolf was still the one he always had, but since Rose brought news from the outside, things had changed. Shen felt her hostility, growing up as the minutes passed, and now she knew why! Apparently, whoever was controlling the pack of white wolves had chosen a bad time to unveil certain details!

It was a while ago that the pack of Shu was in those lands and perhaps it had become impossible for them to hide that truth!

The peacock decided to think carefully about his next words. The wolf was destroyed by pain and he couldn't understand it because both his parents were still alive! He decided to ignore the pronounced anger that he was snuggling under his feathers because of the last statement, let us say more insult to him, from Shu and spoke as calmly as possible, "They are and will always be loyal!" Said the peacock trying not to swallow some of the leaves he was crushed on.

"Shut up! You..." " You know nothing!" Shen stopped it, "I am the Prince of Gong Men and they are the royal guards who have been looking for me for so long just because I represent the future of my city!" He confessed.

"You are a liar!" She accused him: "Why would I lie?" asked the peacock, "Why should you tell me now?" asked Shu. "Thus you will stop suspicious and trust you. A small indecision is enough to bring down what we have built over these months." Shen said he was almost able to clear the blocked wing.

"Are you aware that you are kicking a Prince in the butt?" A voice bounced the wolf and the peacock was finally free.

Xu was comfortably leaning on the trunk of a tree with his arms crossed, "How long have you been there?" asked Shu to forget everything because of the surprise that he hadn't noticed until then. "Always have been!" He answered.

"I do not need a bodyguard!" screamed Shen bruised of shame as he massaged the injured wing once he was standing again.

"The situation she has put you in suggests otherwise!" The cat answered.

Shen hated him on one side, but on the other, he felt a new feeling to grow in his chest day by day, and more and more: gratitude!

Since Shan threatened him, Xu had become his shadow. At first he noticed and he had not overlooked it, believing that as time passed, he would stop, but with his great surprise, Xu had started to keep an eye on Lang Min, and perhaps fearing that the eagle might use it to get to him!

"Did you know that?" asked Shu shocked, "You told him and I didn't!" She screamed offended.

"It was one of the last arrivals to expose him. I was right there and I heard everything! So he did not tell me!" Xu defended him.

"That is dangerous information! Derek could use her and hurt her to get her if she only suspects anything! Those who know about it are only Xu, Mei, Fa, Shan and Rose!" Said Shen.

"Only…. half China knows…and he says, "Only"!" The wolf complained and then turned down his ears, "I won't say anything! But I do not trust your wolves, nor the success of this plan..." said by pointing a finger at the peacock "but strangely I trust you! Despite the past!" she said she was referring to the first failure.

Shen looked at her confused. Of course she was weird.

"Now, if you will excuse me..." began to say Shu, "but I must finish my good lunch!" She ended on the way back to Shen's house.

"Will you stop following me?" asked the peacock to the cat: "I actually came this time for another reason!" answered calm Xu "The traps are complete! We await your supervision so that we can make them suitable and delimit the area so that no one accidentally encloses us!" explained the cat.

Shen smiled. Even if you were standing near the walls, it wasn't very complicated to finish them. Humans seemed to be just that mustelids and other animals were looking for food while they were digging underground. And to set networks and ropes, the animals had waited for the night's darkness when the visibility of humans was reduced to a palm of nose or the shift change, when they were distracted and absent for a few minutes.

Mistakes that would pay cheap!

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August, hot roast and hot sun! Yet the temperature was acceptable on the first morning.

All the animals gathered in the plaza. It was time!

Rose had made sure that humans could never look at them again, and that's why everyone was armed. The girl had pointed to them two different roads through which they would go unnoticed until they arrived near the walls, one to the west side and the other to the east side.

Shen had to give up on the idea of not fighting but withdrawing with everyone else.

The peacocks were too visible, unable to fly and unsuited for the second part of the plan that the boys had developed for those who would stand back and fight.

The task of distracting guards on the east side was entrusted to six pairs of animals: Dewei and Meng, Manchu and Shan, Wan and Hu, Niu and Huo, Xue and Piao and Mayleen and Nuwa.

For each quadruped there was a bird strong enough to take it safely away from humans, when it was necessary.

Hua would have wanted to be part of the rear-guard, but eventually it had decided not to put more people in danger than it had to be.

While animals said goodbye by exchanging encouragement phrases, Cheung stuffed into a medium-sized suitcase with wheels so that the kids could carry it without problems.

"This is my school chart!" Rose said, "Huge because the material to be brought increases to be unstable over the years."

Shen couldn't care less! The important thing was that the first part of the plan could be successful and Cheung would return unharmed.

As soon as human came out of the reserve, the tension went up to the roof!

"This is a crazy plan!" A whisper increased Shen's concern and saw that trust and hope came from Lang Min. "If Cheung makes it, we could implement the second part of the plan and if those in the rear-guard do good work, we will leave without too much trouble!" Shen answered his question, trying to stay calm. It was not the time to fight or show your fears!

Not everyone would have tasted freedom, and even if someone seemed to have reached that awareness, it was better to make them believe otherwise!

"The "if" casts shadows over too many crucial points! There's too many holes in this plan! As all those who are made by your mad mind!" Said the female peacock trying to be lonely and only by him.

"Your warmth is admirable." Said Shen watching his partner satisfied. The shy, insecure girl had disappeared under a strength and courage she had seen in a few!

"I am a disgrace, and you say to me by flattering me?" She asked shocked. "I have nothing more to say in the face of such tenacity! If you think someone's in danger during the escape, act accordingly! Your help and cooperation of all will be crucial." Said Shen hugging her.

Whatever way the peacock would have ended, no one would have hurt her!

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Lucky it was their first time in that power plant, otherwise someone would have suspected something in seeing six guys in the group who seemed to have smoked themselves who knows what drugs! Lucky for them they wouldn't have gone inside the station, but they would only see it from outside, with a guide that explained in detail how it worked.

To find yourself in August on a school trip, because most of the classmates were there, it could be called that... it was something awful and convenient for only six of the participants. Some parents' idea!

This would have allowed their little spy to act unspoken outside the structure, and it was definitely full of surveillance video.

Although it was disappointing to not see the rooms and machinery that were inside the station.

Once within the perimeter of the enormous construction Rose had headed towards the bushes, and accused themselves behind them. That's where Cheung was going to implement the plan: destroy the pilons that supported the electrical wires!

And just before the squirrel disappeared to his destination, she said, "Try not to be seen!"

"It is for days, but months that you have told me. I understand!" knocked poor Cheung who kept feeling stupid for offering! He was there on the goddamn curiosity pushing him. He had unconsciously thought that he would see the human world, but with his great disappointment he had crossed it in a small, unshaken space and then be released next to a building that was years old, surrounded by trees that he could well admire in China too!

"Place these..." The girl continued to hand grenades made by Shen "….on the feet." "And on the top of the great iron construction, without touching or touching the ropes! I know!" ended up with the squirrel, sick of being treated like a fool.

"You are an extra large animal with your clothes on! If they see you, my dad won't be long to realize that I'm involved, and the whole plan will go up! That's why I'm telling you things a hundred times! Perhaps they will be able to enter that mind that you find!" screamed the girl who was exasperated by the other man's behavior. No way! She preferred peacocks! Only with them would always have gotten along with... except Shen... he was a separate case. But think about it...

"There is no need to scream! Your father can never know that you're coming with me to the party, so he'll never suspect me even if he sees me! And I am smarter than what I seem to be so not calling me an animal!" Adam's response was so pronounced and unexpected that the two fighters were disrupted immediately.

"If you scream like a rag, not only can they hear you, but also attract too much attention!" I'll scold you the boy staring at you standing and with his arms open. Rose stood up immediately from the crowded position she was in and after giving the friend a push back to the school group that were staring at them.

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"Have you thought about what you will do when we return to China?" asked Mei to sit next to Shen on a big cable log.

"I will seek a new place to call home, along with Lang Min! Anyone who wants to join is welcome!" answered the peacock apparently observing the nature surrounding them but probably with his mind crowded by other thoughts.

"Have you decided?" asked Mei surprise. Shen looked at her not to understand what she meant, "Will you not return?" asked her to look at the peacock like she said to him, "_You know who I am talking to"_ He swayed, "No! I do not wish to spend the rest of my life confined between four walls to receive merchants and politicians!" "Indeed, that is what you say, it seems like a boring life!" Mei remembered happy. Since her family died, she knew she'd stay with the people she now considered as brothers.

"Are the others ready?" asked the peacock to take down her morale "Yes!" She answered.

For more security the group composed of most of the present, who would have fled first, had to follow a specific order.

It would be mustelids, and most small animals to make the first attack on the wall on the east side. The cats and some peacocks would have used the diversion to take out the guards while Ning and others were very large would open the door.

During the entire journey that would have divided them from the reserve to a safe place would have been the job of cats and birds, to make sure everything was okay. They were the strongest, agile and intimidating, and so the most suitable!

"Shen..." Lang Min approached the two and Mei decided to change the air to make room for the two lovebirds. Thinking all this so that Shen doesn't embarrass and unleash his wrath.

"Do you wish to tear me with your doubts for long?" He asked him suspicious of what he was transporting into her eyes. Did you not know what to call it... fear, love, anger? Maybe there was a little bit of everything!

"I wanted to give you this! For good luck!" She said she gave him a little flower-shaped pendant.

"This is my favorite flower! I first saw him in a market. A foreigner was growing them and selling wonderful legends about this plant! I fell in love with her, and Jong, who was almost a father to me, gave me one. Through his deed, in the following years, seeds falling from the dead plant of the previous year, made new stalks springs spring!" Shen smiled, infected by her enthusiasm.

Lang Min loved nature very much, among those walls he created a wonderful garden growing and treating many plants and flowers. Even though Shen didn't believe in luck, he decided to accept it. He could make an effort for her!

"What story is related to this flower?" He asked curious.

"His legend says that the god of the Sun fell madly in love with a young woman, and he stopped turning his attention to the other young people who dabbled with. One of them, jealous crazy, revealed the rival's father.

He, wrathful, killed his daughter, causing a great pain to the Sun God who permanently gave up the sweet company of all others. The jealous maiden lost what she wanted most, depressed slowly. She let herself die on the ground following the movements of her beloved that every day leads the Sun, and so, in the process, she turned into a flower that 'follows' the sun, the sunflower,' she ended telling her.

"A love story!" said disappointed Shen. He expected something more glorious, and he hoped for it. "Even if we're separated, this will remind you that it's just a lie! I love you and desire myself to return with you to China!" Said Lang Min hugging him. "Nothing will separate me from you! And once we get home, we will be married." Said Shen as he gently caressed her cheek. She missed her breath. Would she have become his wife? Lang Min smiled with joy.

"What do you say?" He asked him not sure that proposing it that way was a good idea "Yes! Yes, I look forward to it!' She answered before she kissed him.

They were interrupted by a huge boat that even made the air shake.

"I hope they are still alive!" I will see Dishi quickly learning that behind that loud and powerful sound was Cheung.

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Let's say it was scarier and scary than you could imagine! She thought it cool and heroic, but it wasn't like that! The explosion had taken a blow to everyone and the collapse of the huge cross-link steel thral had been the coup of grace! He had not fallen near them near them, but the fear that someone would hurt them made the boys run in all directions!

The most idiots scattered into the ground of the plant, the smartest ones ran to the bus and the terrorized ones pointed to the surrounding woods.

You could have said that the teachers had lost control of the situation!

Sam, Rose, Adam, Teo, Caleb and Beatrice ran to the trees, but only to recover Cheung and head for the reserve. Once the wrecker took the disaster, they ran to a large car that was standing next to the bus.

They had a car with so much a driver that Derek thought he was a god and wouldn't let his daughter be with ordinary mortals. But this time, this one played to their advantage. Rose and the others managed to get away very quickly, knowing they didn't have much time to implement the plan! Everything had to be quick and every stage perfectly concatened with the next one!

"Adam, Teo, you go to the walls, the firecrackers I gave you have a special fuse that explodes after 30 seconds, you must distract them." "And take time! Yes, yes, we know!" Adam answered. There was a divider between them and the driver, but it was better to observe a lot of caution!

"Sam and I will travel with the others. These will help us keep in touch!" Said Rose delivering small radios to everyone many years earlier to her birthday. Finally, they would have been useful for something really important and not just for play!

"Bea, Caleb, you know what to do! Here are the keys to the garage and the van! There are no bars or walls between the garage and the main road, so you shouldn't be meeting much resistance if the guards have been neutralized by the others. But drive safely! As if he was going to the lake or friends!" said the girl by finishing distributing the last things she stole from her father in the morning to make sure she noticed as soon as possible.

"You say that as if not showing emotions were easy." protested Caleb whispering with a voice so acute it looked like a girl.

"I hope you will not crash us into some trees!" I complain Beatrice who didn't trust the "driving lessons" that the friend's older brother had given him and that they would be able to get those who would be behind to save time!

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Syaoran was tired of waiting! Everyone else could have conversations to loosen the tension while he was just standing by the gate waiting for Cheung to come back. The pack of Shu, which apparently would soon become his pack, as he would become a member, was ready to act with the black wolves. Enough far from the walls to be escorted from the watchmen, but close enough to come immediately in the event of danger!

Some concited, amplified voices with which the building was built, preceded the arrival of the children. "That was awesome!" "We must do it again!" "But it will have to be a whole building to collapse." "You should be a demolitor!" Enthusiasm as a child! The wolf knew what they had done and did not share their joy at all! Every mission, easy or difficult, should have been thought of as dangerous as it is. It wouldn't have been surprising if Derek had now come to the plan because of their enthusiasm!

Rose was the only one who walked through the gate and after she hid in a bush, let Cheung go and got books that were previously left there. The weight of the backpack should have remained unchanged, otherwise, the cameras placed on the entrance would not have escaped the detail that his file suddenly became light!

"Sam and I will be waiting for you at the agreed point. Good luck!" Said the girl before she disappeared down the hall up the stairs.

"How did it go?" Syaoran asked as they ran to the main floor where everyone had gathered. "I will tell you." said the squirrel, "Humans are more cowards than I thought! They have no reaction to the explosion except screaming and running everywhere!" observed Cheung seemingly disappointed.

"Let us hope it is the same with the guards, then!" Sarcastically the wolf. Between well-trained men and children there was a great difference, unfortunately!

"Here they are!" Hua's voice welcomed them with gaze full of expectations from everyone else.

"It is done!" Cheung answered with few words to ease the tension as quickly as possible. "Then you will have to tell us what happened because there has been so much confusion that even us, in this area, have realized that something big has happened." Guo said smiling satisfied with the commotion they created in the human world. "No! He has simply fallen." Cheung answered with one arm the thralych crashed into the ground. Laughter followed his comment.

"We can proceed with the second part of the plan!" Shen said and the rest of them responded by shouting with enthusiasm!

**I have to admit it was fun to write this chapter! **

**For the wisdom of the Master, the small clashes between animals and secrets finally revealed, even if not at all! The Greek story to which I refer is that of Ovid's Metamorphosis, fourth book. Talk about the love of the nymph Clizia for the sun god. **

**We are not there with the times, since animals live in ancient China, but I wanted to put it anyway since sunflower is my favorite flower! Besides ... it's a fantasy tale, so ... away with the imagination! **

**The war has started and I hope to be able to make it well since it will be the first that I will describe a conflict of this magnitude! **

**See you soon, **

**X-98**


	35. Chapter 35

**BETRAYAL**

"_We can proceed with the second part of the plan!"_ It was easy to say, only now Shen felt the weight of those words. Never felt like that when it was the people of GongMing! That meant being a city lord?

Good thing it wasn't your case, because he was getting paranoid and keeping thinking that not everyone would come out alive!

The reckoning came! And the humans would pay! Shen had not forgotten what he found and doubted destroyed! Once the plan was implemented, it would have been their end in the event of failure! He was sure. And part of him couldn't stop hating humans with a desire for revenge that grew more and more! To hell with the Master's wisdom! If only he knew, he'd probably change his mind. Shen was curious to see his reaction, but he knew it was not the time to confess something like that at all, and he wondered if he would ever do it...

They split up and the peacock was immediately joined by Shu, Mei, Xu and Hua his most loyal and great friends. That is why they would direct the attack on the east side, led by Shen. As he returned to the head of a small army, the peacock felt like nothing had changed in those years. Adrenaline and excitement went up to the roof and that was exactly what happened to him when he brought Zhan and his pack hunting bandits! Only these were worse than all of them! Even the evil Gang! Only then did the peacock realize that after years... he had rethinked that excrement! Better! It was nothing, so thinking about it would coincide with a waste of time.

They reached the point where, days before, with the favor of the night, they had moved and hidden all the ammo. Besides that there was what was left of dust stocks, previously provided by Rose, which would have been right to carry them in order to use them instead of wasting them there.

The door was well guarded, but fortunately, the rest was protected only by bars, barbed wire on top, for many yards before any tower on the lookout. Their previous escape attempt should not have alarmed them much about the safety of the wall, since they fled the castle. I think it would have been a mistake to turn to them!

A prolonged sound, very similar to the warning signals used by humans, but unique in its kind, spread throughout the reserve.

Shen and the others knew the meaning of all this: Adam and Teo managed to set it off, the guards were distracted and Rose and Sam would soon arrive.

Lok together with Long and Jian with Wu flew in opposite directions headed to the nearest towers where Sam on the one hand and Rose on the other, would neutralize the guards and awaited their arrival for any updates.

Sam never felt so nervous in his life! It was something hard to explain! Sure at school when you go there, not having studied a damn thing, but with the hope that luck will bring the professor not to fish your number, you pee yourself, but it's a whole other thing!

He was walking a very long, long hallway built inside the walls to not force anyone who had to walk him to the top of the building. To interrupt this tunnel, there were stairs that led to the lookout towers, far apart.

He knew exactly what stairs to take and struggled not to run because of the agitation. If all went well, they would have scored the shot of the century!

On another level compared to the robbery of Valerio Viccei who... Yes, around 1980 ... he broke into Knightbridge's security depot, stealing 198 million dollars!

Or the 1970s when men dug a tunnel that connected sewers to a vault in Nice, stealing about 50 million francs.

No! No, no, no! The value of Derek's collection... didn't know how much it was worth! But certainly much more than any figure! Perhaps even greater at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai than his father had told him, the cost of the construction had never been said... because of the huge expense... Maybe...

Well, he, a 15-year-old boy would have robbed the Collector of his... Collection! The boy had to stop abruptly and turn back, only realizing that he had exceeded his goal.

Once reached, he began to climb all those stairs trying to maintain a normal gait to avoid getting out even before starting with the hard part of the plan!

As soon as he was at the top it took him five good minutes to catch his breath, but once he did he decided to act. "Good morning, the birds are very agitated and I'm looking for them, if you see them, isn't that you could warn me?" He asked as kindly as possible to one of the three guards inside the tower. "Shoot you snitty!" One of the two people in front of each other, engaged in a poker game, answered him. Sense of duty at the highest level, in short!

Sam recoiled, but the idea of his future glories prompted him to insist, "Derek sends me! It is my job to check that everything is..." "What have you got there?" He asked for a guard to stop him abruptly. The boy looked down and saw the envelope in his right hand, which contained the package of candy, specially prepared by Rose for the occasion.

"A thought for disturbing you during your turn to..." "All right!" said the biggest of the two, "If we see one of the birds, we'll warn you! Now go!" He answered by ripping the envelope out of Sam's hands.

He didn't make him repeat and ran to the stairs, but not to go down all of them, just the ones that were enough not to be seen or heard. Two deaf rounds passed, one behind each other, gave him the green light and went back inside the small tower to look satisfied with the two men asleep on the ground because of the mighty sleeping sleeping pill put by his friend. A very useful secret ingredient!

Two? Weren't there... three?

"You damn brat!" A pissed voice made him freeze on the spot, "I'll teach you how to play tricks!" Says the angry man trying to grab him by the arm.

Sam barely avoided the grip and hid behind a chair, but the man was already on top of him! He was grabbed by the neck of the shirt and pulled up like a feather light and at that moment regretted his desire for fame.

"I will hurt you very much." Said the guard with such a cold voice that it would bring back the winter immediately, "But tell the Collector that it was me and you will regret it."

The man was too busy freezing him with the look that he did not notice the hands of the boy, who freed from the deadly grip, had pointed the table next to them grasping a large telescope. Sam hit that monster with all his might that must be so many since he managed to knock him down with one shot! He fell to the ground and felt relieved that he had managed to get by.

He got down on his knees in a chair and just before checking if one of the birds was actually coming, his eye fell on the uniform worn by both guards sedated with sleeping pills.

Lok flew over the walls, careful not to cross the barbed wire below, remaining inside. I know that this would have triggered the alarm since humans were able to perceive even if a single feather had crossed the borders... alerting them ahead of time!

Shortly before reaching his goal, he veered sharply and perched on a branch with Long after seeing a guard in the tower. Sam and Rose hadn't arrived yet!

But they were both surprised when they saw the guard greet them with one hand and with a nod incite them to go to her. Then, suddenly, the guard lost several centimeters in height and the two birds realized that it was Sam who had probably got down on his knees in a chair, perhaps to delude other sentinels passed just before...

Once inside that small tower room they saw three men lying on the ground, sleeping soundly. "You made us take a shot!" He complained about Long.

"Sorry, but prudence is never too much!" said Sam was wearing a jacket and helmet that were too big for him to look like one of the guards. It didn't take a genius to realize that the two birds were annoyed by his genius.

"Prudence? What a prudence you were looking out the window as if you were in your own home!" Lok accused him of "I've been waiting for you!" The boy justified only hearing a few lines of protest.

"Stop it! Try to stick to the plan and make sure no one comes from the other towers. If we can isolate this gate, we'd have a big head start! I'll go warn Shen that everything is going according to plan." Said Long before he took off. "_I wonder if they remember that I do not understand a damn thing!"_ Poor Sam asked himself mentally.

The sparrow went into the thick vegetation and in a short time reached the point where everyone else was hiding. Jian had already returned, that could have meant that the time to act had finally come!

"We shall proceed!" Said Shen and Shu's howl started the world.

Genji, Dishi and other small animals started fireworks aimed at the towers at the edges of the big gate while some archers aimed at the few guards walking above the walls near the latter.

The fires were simultaneously fired with the fall of wounded guards on earth.

As expected, the glass of the tower was slightly damaged, but that was enough to confuse humans. Mei led his state-of-the-art group to attack and had to stop his advance as soon as the guards, who were inside the towers, opened fire. Some acute whistles made her look back and saw Shen and the others were trying to cover them, trying not to get hit by the deadly human weapons.

The cat hid behind a big log, put there with other big items like rocks and other logs, just for the occasion. Some were injured before and this blocked her for a moment that seemed to be interminable.

For whatever reason one fights, war would never lose its brutality. Full of hate and treason, resulting from idiotic things like power and revenge.

The first one made the collector slave, while the second one blinded them. Considering that lives would be wasted, but inebriated by a sense of justice, Mei realized that he was fighting for a fair cause, but following the wrong ideas!

But for the time being, you shouldn't have cared! His job was to fight with his friends because he was certain about one thing: two goals go with two goals, one is to give them, and the other is to take them.

It didn't matter if they were fighting for their freedom, perhaps, because pursuing a goal could prove to be motivating, but that would not make that fight better and everyone who would inevitably follow after.

As always, the Master was right, "_War is a punishment for him who inflicts it as well as for him who suffers it."_

Xu was there in a short time. "There is one right before us!" The Panther informed her. Mei, regained her lucidity in less time than he expected and took one of Shen's most dangerous and destructive fireworks, and she threw it at the same time. The second distracted the guard enough to make the cat hit a mark, leading the human on the ground after having had it slipped on the side, for several meters.

Guo was the first to get to the top of the walls, with his two hooked swords in defensive position, he captured inside the towers to see if there was any cowards holed up. He hit him, or rather the human did it, and he was making the weapons he was carrying with him completely ineffective. But if man had won, on the one hand, there was no strange presence behind his shoulders and Lim trapped him with a strong blow to the head of his raided bat.

On the other side, Mei wasn't so cautious and entered the tower like a hurricane just to lower at the last moment, a blow that otherwise deadly blow. The momentum was such that she found himself crawling into the ground so fast that she crashed into the armed human, and he crashed into the wall violently and sent it to the dream world.

"It was too easy!" Mei remembered as soon as she realized that all the other guards had been rendered harmless and Ning, helped by Pei, was opening the heavy door. "I do not agree with that at all!" protested poor Guo as Shu swamped his wound, facing the opposite tower.

Shen looked around horrified and full of rage. In the past he had participated in some small, but still challenging and dangerous battles. But this was different from how he had expected it! Before long, a small number of humans had managed to injure many of them. Master or not Master they had to kill! Only by decreasing the enemy's numbers would they really have a chance!

The problem at the power plant had caused quite a stir and their signal had only increased it.

Now the poor Teo and Adam stood before the great Collector trembling like chicks. "It's true that you're just kids, but it's my duty to ask you, do you work for her?" asked in a glacial voice.

"It was an accident!" whispered Adam that he suddenly felt extremely stupid for getting involved. His parents would never let him get away with it, and at the very least he'd be locked in his room for a year! Maybe in time to celebrate your birthday with a big party, but now was not the time to think about it!

"W-we didn't know... W-we didn't think that microphone would work! The power is not there!" stammered Theo, unable to stop shaking like a leaf. His father would never take him with him to Greece after this genius! It was strong to think that we were acting in a group, too bad he had only been concerned about the consequences once the damage was done, when it was impossible to repair the mistake!

"In recent months you have done nothing but increase my enemies by telling them lies! That I sell children to make what it takes to get my blimp flying, that I kill anyone who doesn't support my wishes! Yet she was the one who..." Derek took a deep breath. He had to stay calm! If she really damaged the hydroelectric power plant and sent those brats to distract him, she couldn't let the information gathered in those months! On the other hand, if the kids were really in the dark about everything, he could compromise himself with the press! It was known that anyone who came out of the castle was attacked by hopeful reporters to take off their career.

In this case, as underage, they were nagging families and it was better if the children only told about afternoons with their great friend Rose and not her very rare collection!

"Go play and forget my words! I worry about my daughter, that's all!" cut Derek short and then saw those two brats splash out of the room.

It's been almost a year since he talked to his daughter.

At first he refused to believe every suspect that he had gone into his mind, but as time went by and as evidence increased, he had to reclaim!

Carmela was very smart and she had taken the curtains out just before he could collect enough evidence to charge her.

She killed her consort, even though she had just taken away a problem. And if Rose wasn't her biological daughter, he would have gotten rid of it as soon as possible so that he could finally have an heir worthy of his name!

The former secretary! The liar! The traitor!

She had corrupted some, indeed many, of her men to such an extent that by now their loyalty had changed completely. Many had followed her outside the castle and even more, they believed the fairy-slings about him going around!

But the thing that tormented him the most was the thought of being used!

Carmela had taken advantage of her popularity and long journeys to import products illegally from the world of anthropomorphic animals! An uncontrolled, clandestine trade, risking bringing unknown and deadly diseases into their world...

And all this under his nose!

He could have denounced her, but he knew that he had unknowingly meddled in this bad business and was equally guilty.

He had made sure that if she was poured, he would follow her!

Clever, ruthless and stubborn! He had to admit that he admired her!

Carmela was aware that sooner or later she would discover her and soon a war would break out and it was Derek's intention not to lose her! Her goal was not yet clear to him, but he would protect what he had created with so much effort, and he would take revenge... even at the cost of living!

Something was wrong! While most of them had gone deep into the woods, Shen and the small group selected for the rearguard had stopped at the edge of the forest to prevent some retaliation from humans, but for now the bipeds had not shown themselves!

If Piao and the others had attacked the west side, the humans had inevitably been alerted! Why wait? Why didn't they act right away? That Derek had prepared for an eventuality like this exactly as happened during their first escape attempt?

A huge explosion scared the crap out of all the cats in the world, plus Shen, Syauan, Shu, Hua, and a few others who chose to stay by the peacock.

"The others have gone that way." Mei said with obvious distress, indicating where, probably, a disaster had happened.

"Move!" screamed Shen starting to run. Ning and the others should have met the wolves by now, but they could be slaughtered by humans because the canides knew no enemy and what he was capable of!

They came into a wide clearing and saw that the rest of them had been in the middle of a war between humans!

The gunmen were aiming at their own kind, ignoring the animals trying to hide and help those of them had been wounded.

They were everywhere! Both explosions and human beings! It wasn't a fight, it was a slaughterhouse!

"Take cover! To the mountain!" yelled Shen before he paupulated as hard as possible. They shouldn't have panicked! It was lucky that humans were so busy killing each other because they would give them the chance to escape unharmed!

The relief lasted a little. Some inventions, called "machines" reached the peacock and others who were standing by his side. Mei and Shu grew up, while Hua wisely decided to fly out.

A mechanism, placed at the top of the vehicle, started a big network that Shen and the others barely dodged. "Carmela wants them! Live or dead! Get a move on!" screamed one of the humans. It was the last thing he said before a feather knife stuck into his chest and put an end to his miserable life.

Xu was surprised. He thought it would take Shen longer to decide to be serious. I mean, if humans wanted to kill them, there was no other way out. They too had to attack with their intention to eliminate them!

There was a brief moment of surprise from both sides, human and not, and once they were passed, the real fight began!

Shen hid behind a big bush. Things were going to get worse and worse! That human! It was all his fault!

But on the one hand it was comforting to know that Derek had two problems instead of one. That would have benefited them!

A dying human had made it clear that Derek and Carmela had declared war.

Shen and the others were surprised by the secretary who apparently wanted to destroy both his rival and them! The peacock had made the bigger and slower animals split into small groups, with the order to attack only if necessary, while he and others had taken care of humans to allow as many as they could, to escape. He still had to wait for the return of those who attacked the west side of the walls!

"Shen!" Mei stopped by him for the race that was just made. "Look for Hua! Or anyone with wings! I want a full report of the situation!" Said the peacock.

"You are injured!" I'll see you only then notice the dark spot of blood that had formed on Shen's belly and he was tampering with a wing.

"This is not the time..." "To die! I would say no!" She said she couldn't mask the concern in her voice.

Shen had a big sigh. They just had to reach the caves! Once inside it would have been easy to break the entrance by separate them from humans. Bo would have taken them away from danger and someplace safe!

"Boys!" A voice turned them around and saw Meng landing next to him.

"How did it go?" asked Shen concerned "What?" He asked the rapid: "What the hell can he ask you? Use your head, chicken brain!" Mei screamed whose patience had run out of their lives because of the situation they were in.

"Ah...right!" You run Meng by throwing a dirty look at the cat, even if you had to admit that you were right. "There is good there! We have landed a lot of guards, and I believe that some of them died while we fled the building, but I will tell you this later!" He said. "Good! Now we will find the whole human army on our tail!" Mei complained well that humans don't forgive easily.

"Ning and most of them have entered a cave! Bo's with them! But we are cut off!" Said the vulture trying to catch breath.

"What does that mean?" Mei asked for a fool.

"Most of Derek's humans are still near what remains of the west wall of the reserve, whereas those who were here were killed and her allies have barred us from the road!" Meng explained the situation by failing to hide his terror at all.

The posts on the bases of the walls had done their work, but they had not stopped the unexpected enemies, namely Carmela's men!

"We are 22 counting all cats and Hua, Syauan, Huo, Shu and you!" Mei's voice-over.

A grief grunt was followed by Xu's appearance from behind a bush. The cat was limping visibly, clear sign that the wound that was being put to him was quite serious. "I swear they will pay you! They will suffer a hundred times what I am suffering now." Xu complained about a big rock.

"I agree!" Guo said approaching the group "Many were injured! It is absurd that we cannot use their weapons, or am I the only one who thinks so?" asked the cat furious even though nothing had been done. "Ask Shen." she answered in tone Mei knowing that the peacock was right: they didn't know that kind of weapons and it would be reckless and dangerous to try them just to have a slightly advantage, risking their lives unnecessarily, because they had weapons!

Mei's claim was sufficient to stop the protests, the observation that Meng was about to make and a rather inappropriate argument. Those who were here decided to wait for everyone to join the group so that they could assess the situation well and react accordingly.

**Hello everyone! I hope you had a Happy Easter! **

**I apologize for the delay, but without the university the days go even faster and also, with the study I could not find a moment to publish! **

**It has begun! I have twists and lots of action in mind! **

**I hope something decent comes out in the end! Tell me what you think and what you expect! **

**Suggestions and comments I look forward to them so you can continue writing and publishing! **

**See you soon, **

**X-98**


	36. Chapter 36

**CHOICES**

It could not be! It simply could not!

The enemy army ... yes, because the number of opponents was so high that they had to be called a real army ... it is in fact, that his men, sent on the spot to recover the escaped animals, were annihilated by an enemy who had moved too early.

Conscious of having lost the first clash, he had not sent any kind of reinforcement, condemning those loyal men to an atrocious end.

It almost seemed that she wanted to make the animals run away, she actually knew well that if there was one thing he detested, it was the idea of losing her beloved collection. To dismantle this theory was the fact that his men had injured and attempted to kill the animals, this last detail dismantled the idea that Carmela had made of himself.

For the first time in his life he had rejoiced and enjoyed receiving news of the success of the plan for those bags of fleas, only because during the escape they had eliminated part of the competition. But aside from satisfaction with some good news, Derek knew well that he had to calm down and think clearly. First he would defeat his rival and only later, hoping not to lose them forever, would he recover the very rare animals. He had lost a battle, not war! Not yet ... never!

If the problems weren't enough, new ones had been created. The government had sent the army to quell what they called "civil war". Not knowing that the madwoman could have stood up to anyone thanks to the large number of men she had.

They would have given him problems too!

He had to try to ally with them, doing so would increase in number and crush the damned ungrateful. As if that wasn't enough, reliable sources had informed him that his daughter and other teenagers were accomplices in the escape of the animals. He did not believe in coincidences and the fact that his daughter had visited the power plant on that day explained everything.

The people in charge of the control room had fallen into his trap and concentrated on the main problem, without thinking of sending guards to check the perimeter as the animals were unusually calm.

The problem came from outside and nobody had believed it possible that the two were related.

In addition, the emergency generators had been out of use for a few months now and he had not thought how useful they could be at a time like that, postponing the work for their repair several times.

Rose knew she had given priority to the problem with her former employee and had taken advantage of it!

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

"No! I prefer to die instead of running away like a coward! " Xu yelled furiously.

"You will do as I say! You will not endanger everyone for your stupid pride! " Shen replied equally distorted "He spoke ... who was to refuse the help of humans during our first attempt to escape?" The cat asked provocatively.

"You were not against then, why do you have to be now? Pulling out old stories doesn't change anything! " Said the peacock who felt the itchiness of his wings increase more and more. He would not have been able to remain calm for much longer.

Mei seemed to notice it and intruded on the quarrel "Guys, stop fighting and lower your voice. Xu, do you want to die today or do you prefer to have a second chance to kick those bipeds in the butt? " Mei asked putting into practice a subtle psychological game.

Shen's crest rose in surprise. He had not yet realized the enormous skills of his friend since until then he had always trusted others to solve problems. She had been against her decision to put her in the forefront of the vanguard but had proved perfect for a task like that. By now the fearful girl she had met on the airship had disappeared making way for a tenacious and courageous young adult.

"Um ... okay!" Xu agreed intimidated by the fury that shone through Mei's eyes. The cat turned to the peacock and also unleashed his impetuous impetus on him "You too will go with him!" she said without waiting for an answer before turning around and turning to Hua "Fly high and check the situation, but be careful!" she said them with conviction.

"How dare you?" Shen screamed indignantly. Never had anyone stepped over it that way. Not even now that he had lost his title! "Not now Shen!" She replied as if it had been the most normal thing in the world to put it aside like an old rag.

"I'm in charge of this operation! I studied the tactics of humans for months just to allow us to escape and now ... "" ... now you have to guide others to a safe place! " Mei interrupted him.

"You know what to do now. Where should we go, which roads are safe and which are not. You have to help others so we too will have a chance to get by. We will keep the humans busy and only when you have put the others safe will you come to recover us! " said the cat managing to attract the attention of all the cats present.

"She's right!" Guo supported her "Join the others and guide them ... we will kill some humans for you too!" The feline concluded by waving his tail impatiently.

"I won't kill anyone!" Indignantly protested Mei "So I ... I'll kill some bipeds for you and Xu!" Guo corrected himself. "I will too!" Kuen said "It applies to me too!" Zhong said.

"Well!" Shen said through clenched teeth. The offense was still burning, but he was well aware that Mei was right "Guo, you will come with us too!" Said the peacock before setting off.

The feline swore, but did as he was told. Others had also been injured, but not as seriously as he, Xu and Shen. They risked condemning themselves and sentencing others to death if they remained ...

"Down!" A partially screamed whisper from Hua made them drop suddenly. Shen peered through the branches of the bush where he had hidden. Humans. They were those of the secretary, she recognized the clothes!

"Be careful! There should be a small group of them around here. The alpha ran away with the others! " A man said from above one of the buildings they called cars.

"Remember the white peacock with red spots must be caught alive!" Another said holding a large black plastic object in his hand.

"Eliminate the targets!" This last statement was repeated several times by a high-pitched and strange voice and the animals did not understand who was talking.

"We attract them to the reserve! You take advantage to melt it! " Mei said before crawling towards her goal.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Derek looked around. He had machines and men sufficient to recapture the animals, but not to keep up with hers. Frustrating!

For now he was sure that his daughter would take care of his "friends" so he could spend all the resources he had against the traitor.

She knew well that the numbers gave her an advantage, but did not decree her victory. Not yet at least.

He knew well who was in charge of the group of soldiers sent to stop the ongoing conflict as soon as possible.

A smart and fair man, incorruptible. He would have had to leverage his moral principles to convince him to collaborate and probably would have prevented him from killing the traitor who was his greatest wish at the time.

But at least they would have stopped her. That was what mattered. The collector left the courtyard in time to see the large armored trucks stop in front of the large door of that secondary entrance to the castle.

The colonel came down as if he had come to discuss business and not to fight a war. He had been a good soldier, decorated with the highest honors. He must have seen worse than two who quarreled with each other making spite of each other ...

"Good evening Collector" introduced himself "I heard you have problems. The situation got out of hand and collapsed in half a day. " He was knowledgeable. Better to feel the ground.

"I wasn't expecting such an outcome. Animals have always been unpredictable, but such a move on their part was somewhat unlikely, don't you think too? " He asked carefully observing the other's reaction.

"They are not the only problem, are they? Someone has decided to appropriate and stop the horror you leave behind, "said the colonel, looking at him with disgust. Derek felt his bowels twist in anger. He believed her. He was one of the many idiots who had collected the seeds she sowed without even asking a question or letting some doubt creep into her mind!

A real disappointment from a man who had a reputation for being very intelligent. Maybe she would have believed him too ...

"So I would be a monster? He can't believe in a woman who kidnaps children! " Derek said haughtily.

The colonel's serious gaze wavered in the face of such a revelation "I don't think I understood correctly ..." he said, shaking off the initial shock. "My daughter and five of her friends ... have been kidnapped by ... the woman." replied the collector unintended to pronounce her name.

"I apologize to you for what I say, but given your reputation I find it hard to believe!" The colonel said, who had become agitated to know that in one way or another, children were in danger.

Derek sighed, pretending to be nervous even though he was perfectly confident in the plan he devised. "Follow me to my office, I have something that will make you change your mind!" He said heading inside the building.

Fortunately the colonel, even if he didn't trust him, decided to go along with his request.

Once in the room a computer scientist aired a truly disturbing video on a computer.

Four boys, a girl and three boys, were in a dirty and dark room, sitting on the ground with their hands and feet tied.

"Please! Please, it forced us! She forced us! " One of the boys said in a terrified voice "Shut up!" A man screamed as he entered the camera view. The video stopped after two seconds.

"As you see that individual wears one of his men's uniforms. They captured the boys after forcing them to collaborate with them! " Explained the collector.

"And should I believe you? It could have been all you!" said the colonel, showing his disappointment.

"Then you will believe the ballistic results made on my dead men in an attempt to save my daughter!" Derek insisted, nodding to the man sitting in front of the computer who nodded and started looking for a second video.

"Stop showing me these frames ..." the colonel was interrupted by the hasty entrance of an individual who handed him sheets and then went out again.

"What are?" He asked suspiciously, starting to read. "The bullets that killed my men didn't belong to any of the weapons in our possession and to clarify further doubts look at this!" Derek answered by clicking a button on the keyboard and starting the video.

The video camera was placed on the helmet of an armed man and you could only see the weapon held by him that was shooting madly at the enemies. The individual hid behind a tree and only appeared when the shots were safe. He killed many opponents, but turned suddenly attracted by a scream.

Next to a large investigating magistrate a stranger had grabbed a girl who was struggling like crazy screaming and kicking.

"Leave me! Put me down damn dung of manure! " The young woman screamed as she tried in vain to escape the hold of the man.

A boy clung to one of the stranger's legs who had his friend in his hand and tried several times to lift her with the intent to make him lose his balance but without success.

Eventually he too was captured.

The soldier carrying the video camera moved as soon as he saw that the young men were being loaded by force on the magistrate, but a succession of shots preceded his fall to the ground and the end of the video. "Tell me all you know! The position of the enemy, their number and the weapons they have! What if he has an idea where those kids and his daughter can keep them! " The colonel said, this time, fully convinced.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Mei took a piece of wood trying to make as little noise as possible. Once he found himself behind the armed men who were chasing them he threw him with all his might to their right.

His plan worked perfectly as it did not reveal their position, but made the attention of the bipeds direct in the wrong direction.

Panicked they fired shots in the void and the animals took advantage of all the confusion to reach them, unheard, behind them with a few leaps. They were enough for everyone to look after a human, but this disadvantaged them because they let their guard down.

Kuen was struck by an unknown weapon that made him scream in pain and collapse into semi-unconscious ground and the one who had stunned him, instead of completing the work, turned his attention to his fellow man in difficulty, hitting Syaoran in full.

The poor wolf whined loudly, as he had never done before. He fell to the ground holding a paw on his right side from which a large amount of blood spilled.

With the last remaining strength he used his whip mace to strike the human who stood above him and send him to the world of dreams, but immediately afterwards he too followed him.

The guard who had hit the wolf approached the animal cautiously and took aim. It had to hit a point that would not have damaged the animal's fur too much and whose wound could be easily hidden once embalmed.

Carmela had been brilliant. If you are unable to control live animals, dead animals are better.

You earn less, but you can be sure that the profit is forever.

The deluded man made a strangled sound when a blade pierced him out of his belly and fell to the ground lifeless as soon as it was removed. Zhong cleaned his weapon on his victim's robes and immediately ran to rescue the fallen wolf.

He tore off a large piece of his shirt and folded it carefully before placing it on the wound and pressing as hard as possible in an attempt to slow the bleeding.

Mei and Tai-Yang were quick to light a fire on which to burn a blade.

They knew well that it was the only way to cauterize the wound and prevent the wolf from dying and they didn't care much about the fact that smoking would certainly alert humans to their presence.

Shu checked the wound realizing that there was both an entry hole and an exit hole.

Bad news. Two holes then double blood loss. He knew well that being seriously injured was what they risked, but living it was different from imagining it!

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Derek proudly observed the large number of men who stood under his command.

They had doubled if not tripled with the arrival of the colonel and this had restored confidence in those who were still loyal to him.

The numbers don't win the battles, but now he could put in place a plan with well-trained soldiers accustomed to such situations. Probably his opponent could not say the same.

To avoid spies, they had gathered in a large complex of abandoned factories. By now all that remained were empty and large buildings, perfect for use as a hiding place.

They had reached the site in small groups in less than two hours and were currently discussing the strategic plan to surround and annihilate the enemy.

She had killed many of his men, which is why the colonel authorized to strike with the intention of killing. His men were hiding in the mountains and if this worried the collector a lot, it seemed that the colonel had not noticed.

The building in which they were located was larger than the others in which the various vehicles had been hidden. The men were loading all the weapons at their disposal as well as supplying each one with as much ammunition as possible.

"At this point there is an abandoned house. Being the only place where there is a civil construction, I deduce that it is also the place where the boys are held prisoner. We will give priority to the patrol of this building. Remember that the safety of children comes first and foremost, "said the colonel to the collector and his lieutenants.

"Sir ..." tried to start saying Derek. As soon as he was given permission, he continued, "If we get closer to their hiding place, we risk using the boys as a shield or as hostages ... worse still, they will kill them to prevent them from saying what they have seen. We must seek her first! When we have it in hand ... "

"... they will kill the kids or use them as a bargaining chip! I think I have more experience than she does on the field, so try to obey orders if you want to hug your daughter again! " The colonel replied, annoyed that the collector had given voice to his concerns.

In situations like this one always took risks and hoped that his decision was the best.

Derek leaned against the railing that overlooked the interior of the building. It was the first time he had to obey orders and he didn't like it at all.

He and his superiors were on the second floor of the old building, far enough away from indiscreet ears where to develop a good strategy.

The colonel entered the room opposite the long corridor that overlooked the interior of the building where Derek was staying, to take his personal belongings before going to war.

It was at that moment that the collector's eye fell on a stranger, escorted by a guard, who was led towards them.

All the men turned as soon as he passed between the various tables on which the weapons were placed and looked at him with curiosity.

He was apparently young and seemed surprised by the amount of artillery in that warehouse. He carried a large backpack with him and was dressed as if he intended to go on an excursion.

"Hey! Who are you?" Derek yelled, drawing all eyes on himself. Even the colonel, from the room he was in, heard him scream that question and decided to go check it out for himself. He managed to take only a few steps.

The boy, as soon as he saw the Collector raised an arm in the air before shouting "Goodbye Derek!" And press the detonator.

A suicide bomber.

Ingenious, safe and lethal.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

Shen sighed in relief as soon as he saw the caves that would serve as a refuge for the next few months.

He was exhausted and knew he would hold on for a little longer.

He was losing a lot of blood! He had to hurry to join the others, give quick orders and hope that someone could medicate him enough to prevent him from bleeding to death.

Although wounded, Xu wielded his Kyoketsu Shoge (a steel chain at the end of which a large double blade was attached) with extreme dexterity and this was enough to make him seem very dangerous despite his limping gait.

Guo was made worse, but had been medicated by Shu, so he was better than the peacock.

As soon as they entered the cave Guo grabbed Shen by the wing with the intention of guiding him. The bird's eyes did not see as well as those of a feline in the dark.

Taking a few steps, a hiss preceded a dull thud and Shen felt Guo push him behind him to protect him while Xu snarled menacingly to intimidate anyone who had fired the arrow.

"I didn't think I'd see you so soon!" Jia said an albino doe "I thought I didn't see you at all!" It was an albino fox "Luckily you were wrong!" Said the first "Yeah!" The other said relieved.

"Where are the others?" He asked for a voice that Shen recognized immediately.

"They stayed behind to fight a group of humans chasing us, Cong," replied the peacock. "Hopefully everything is fine!" The squirrel answered before lighting a piece of wood at one end and guiding them to the place where the others were.

Once they reached their destination, Shen was relieved to find that they were all well apart from those who had been injured in the clash that took place on the walls of the reserve.

As he watched everyone and they stared at him, Xu and Guo, a familiar figure approached the peacock. "My Lor..." poor Zhan was struck by Ning's pointed club, unexpectedly taken by Shen and used against the unfortunate wolf. Everyone jumped in surprise.

The peacock had always been unpredictable, but this exceeded anyone's expectations!

But didn't those two already know each other? Were they friends or did the peacock lie to them?

Shen let go of the secure support represented by Guo and with his last strength he bent over the old friend who was on the ground while pressing a paw on his head, panting with pain. "For the moment I am only Shen! Nobody needs to know my true identity! " He whispered in the wolf's ear before the darkness claimed it.

**I apologize to everyone for the long wait! But the study is really a lot and I didn't find a free moment to post the new chapter! **

**The idea of the suicide bomber was lightning fast, it was not my intention to put it! Too explosive as a turn-up? Let me know what you think, the comments I appreciate them very gladly! **

**See you soon, **

**X-98**


	37. Chapter 37

**THE GHOST SAILBOAT **

_"Carmela wants them! Live or die! Get moving! " That simple statement was enough to open Shen's eyes and although he was amazed at his instinctive reaction to the danger, he was not disappointed._

_Since then, the situation had worsened visibly. Humans became more aggressive, or desperate, it depended on the point of view, since they realized that animals could kill them. _

_Yet Derek's humans merely defended themselves in the event of an attack and protected Shen and the others from common enemies. The peacock understood that it was a courtesy made only for economic interest since for those damned misers there seemed to exist nothing else in life apart from money. _

_Many, after witnessing the first kill of Shen had followed his example and the peacock decided to take advantage of the momentary advantage. _

"_Kill humans in red uniforms! Not those dressed in green! " He screamed and luckily he was listened to without questions. _

_"Why should we spare some of them?" failing, however, to avoid criticism from Xu. _

"_They are loyal to Derek and they seem to want to protect us! Better that they stay with us instead of Carmela's men! " The peacock hurriedly replied before preventing an arrow from sticking into his shoulder, deflecting it at the last moment with his new weapon. _

_Ning, Pei and Kun had hidden and observed the situation from afar, behind a large boulder. _

_All the others were with them and it was better to prevent the females and the older ones from fighting as some had been injured in the first clash and to avoid endangering more people than necessary. _

_Shen and the others seemed to be getting by ... for the time being. "Peacock!" Shen turned abruptly when he heard the name spoken but had to look up when he realized that whoever called him was in the air. Shan landed next to him "We have to find another way to make the others go away!" Visibly worried he said. _

"_As soon as Hua gives the signal, make them divert to that grove and stay with them. Near the cave, it flies low so that humans don't know the location of our refuge!" Shen said once he identified the small group of trees in question that would have covered the escape of the others._

_At the moment they were in a vast plain that interrupted the large wood. _

_The humans had brought them out into the open and this had gone to their disadvantage: many had withdrawn because they were injured and unable to fight further! _

_"What signal?" Shan asked, standing in front of the peacock who was running in the opposite direction from where the others were in an attempt to distract humans enough to give his friends a chance to escape. _

_"You will understand!" Shen replied managing not to be followed anymore. _

/

Shen regained his senses briefly, just to feel excruciating pain in his belly before falling back into unconsciousness.

/

_Xian took a slash with his guan dao as soon as he saw Xu being hit by one of those noisy and hellish weapons of humans. He seriously injured the bipedal in the chest and left him dying on the ground. _

_The cat, despite the terrible injury to his leg, got up rather quickly, not wanting to throw in the towel at the first difficulty. _

_Shui used his tongfa as if they had been fishing hooks, spearing more than one human at the same time. _

_A paupular attracted general attention and everyone followed Shen who was moving quickly in the opposite direction from their final destination. _

_Tai was fighting not far from a small group of terrified peacocks, hidden in the trees. Shen intercepted them during the race and stopped only to give some directives "Have everyone divide into small groups and while we distract humans take advantage to get away!" The peacock said and started to continue towards his goal, when a scream made him turn back to the clearing he had left behind. _

_A man had managed to catch Rose who in an attempt to protect Liang had lost his grip on his weapon. _

_A spear, lent to him by another peacock, probably. They were standing next to a large "car" and the stranger had grabbed the girl who was struggling like crazy screaming and kicking. _

_"Leave me! Put me down damn dung of manure! " The young woman screamed as she tried in vain to escape the hold of the man. Sam, who came out of nowhere, clung to one of the stranger's legs who had his friend in his hand and tried several times to make him lose his balance but without success. _

_Eventually he too was captured. Shen looked around and saw that Derek's men had been annihilated. They had to act quickly!_

_A paupular made him turn towards the invention of human iron and saw Xian as he killed a biped by cutting his throat with a precise, strong and lethal slash. _

_Shen threw one of his knives severing the miserable life of a coward who had unsuccessfully attempted to attack Xian from behind. But this gave courage to another who managed to hurt him with a big knife before he could end his life. _

_Jie and Hao took care of the few humans left around the car and then headed for the last group of them who were opposing a last grueling and desperate resistance against an inevitable and terrible death. _

_Ye, an albino crow, landed in front of Shen bringing fresh news "There are numerous groups of them scattered in this area!" He said pointing to the human carcasses "If we move immediately we could sow them!" He looked hopefully. _

_"No!" The peacock said "We must stop them permanently!". "_

_You don't seem to be able to do it! For the moment it is better to fold and think about others! " Xian said placing a wing on his brother's shoulder. _

_Shen freed himself from the touch, jerking aside "It's just a scratch, I'll survive! Get everyone else safe, me, Hua and the cats still able to fight will wipe out the surviving humans! " He said taking a step. He was stopped by an extremely agitated Shu. _

"_My pack is located at the foot of the mountain! The disgusting bipeds forced them to a quick retreat, but from what they reported to Huo, there were no victims among them ... luckily! " she informed him. _

_Shen thought about it and the lighting caught him: Huo was one of the albino owls. _

_"Well!" The peacock answered trying to move, but was again stopped by an unusual phrase "Do you really think I'll let you go?" The wolf asked lowering her ears and giving him a dirty look. _

"_How do I pray?" Shen asked, altered and amazed. Was he challenging him? It had never happened! What time? "But does this seem like the time to quarrel?" Xian asked exasperated. _

"_Syaoran and I are going with you! Never let us miss a clash with those ..." "Follow me, then!" The peacock cut her off and headed for his next target. Relieved that his intentions were more noble than he had feared. "You didn't let me finish!" She protested "It was a great moment when I was showing you my loyalty and trust ... and you interrupted it!" she continued to complain. "Better this way!" Xian screamed as he watched them go._

_"Better this way!" Xian screamed as he watched them go. The curse that came to him as an answer could even have been heard by Derek from the hole in which he had holed up. _

/

The first thing he saw when he woke up was the beautiful face of Lang Min asleep, next to his.

They were on a makeshift couch, but this was overshadowed when he felt her so close to him.

Footsteps accompanied Zhan's entry into the tent. The wolf arranged some bandages in a box and took one before approaching him.

"How did you manage to find me?" The question took the wolf by surprise and he snarled and unsheathed his big hammer in response to the entrance to the tent. It took several seconds for the canine to realize that the voice did not come from outside, but from within.

When their eyes met a myriad of emotions overwhelmed the peacock.

He had never shown himself to be particularly emotional, but apparently he was, since he felt an irrepressible joy growing inside him in seeing his dear childhood friend after so long! Zhan had been his first friend and together they had combined all the colors. He was the only one, together with his pack, to understand what it was like to be considered a threat and be marginalized.

And now they were together again!

"My ... Shen ... how do you feel?" The wolf asked worriedly and cautiously, mindful of what had happened when he tried to approach alluding to his title.

And ending up making a mess because he gave her and you in the same sentence!

"I've been better!" The peacock replied "Forgive my reaction, but for the moment ... nobody knows ..." was interrupted by Mei's entry into the tent.

If she was there it meant that the others had joined them too and that perhaps she had slept more than she thought! The cat and the wolf exchanged a hateful look. "

Do you need anything?" Zhan asked barely holding back a snarl "I have to talk to him!" Mei replied "Good!" The wolf replied, staying where he was "Alone!" specified the feline, but the alpha did not give the slightest sign of wanting to move an inch.

Both were making a huge effort not to tear each other's neck and Shen decided to intervene before they tried "How long did I sleep?" Churches. "Five days!" Zhan replied "The wound had become infected and you had a very high fever!" Mei continued "Knowing that some were in danger Xian sent a dozen of my men to recover them and they succeeded!" Zhan said looking at the cat as if to say "_You owe me a very big favor!"._ Shen knew that the wolf did not like the presence of felines in general, but all this hatred must have had a reason rooted deeper.

"No, my dear, it was you who mattered, from what they told me!" Mei accused him.

"Thank you for doing it since you only believe in your friends!" The wolf snarled.

"That's enough!" Shen screamed, immediately regretting it because of the twinge that the wound sent him for that sudden effort. He complained grimacing, he had never been good at managing pain!

"Shen" The two said in chorus, approaching at the same time worried, only to take a look at each other and vice versa.

"Zhan is a childhood friend of mine, he protected and saved my life ... countless times, you can trust Mei. And she is a great friend who has always supported my choices, treat her well Zhan! " The peacock said hoping to cool the hot spirits.

The two respondents nodded.

A laugh made them turn to Lang Min who had hidden under the covers and laughed at her big.

Indeed, even Shen, if he hadn't felt upset, would have laughed with her.

The rivalry between the two, at times, was nothing short of comic!

"Sorry! But it's fun to see how you competed to win your Prince's favor! " The female peacock was justified as she wiped away her tears.

"He is not my Prince! Just a friend! " Mei answered trying to speak as softly as possible "Then get off your feet!" The wolf said giving her a push.

The cat growled, but Lang Min was quick to get out of bed and stand between the two. "Me and my friend are busy! You stay on guard of your friend who will be back soon! " The peacock said before dragging Mei out. "Pissed off cat!" He looked satisfied Zhan.

"I had come to change your bandages ... Shen!" He corrected himself. "All right! Try to please her because you would end up against all the cats since she commands them! " Said the peacock.

"Isn't she the one they should respect?" Asked the annoyed wolf "No, I told you! I am no longer a Prince! They respect me, but they obey her ... for now! " Shen replied before falling asleep.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"So are you okay? Safety?" _"To ask this question, I should be the one since I'm in my room and not lost in the mountains with a goal aimed at ..."_ "I grabbed!" Rose stopped her.

Beatrice and the others had managed to escape and it turned out that Derek had kidnapped them.

This had meant that the whole world believed without a shadow of a doubt the myriad of lies and stories invented by Carmela, shattering that little dignity that the Collector still possessed.

Or was it to say ... had she owned?

The autopsy tests had confirmed that Derek had died during a deadly attack by the one who was now defined as the savior of the world, or the protector of peace, the name depended on tastes!

A colonel and a few soldiers were the only survivors of the army gathered to stop the "savior of the world"! If on the one hand it was positive that the Collector had been stopped, even if in the most brutal way ever, on the other it was terrible to think that she was still there!

And if Rose was satisfied that her kidnapper had what she deserved, on the other she was destroyed since she could never have known her real father and that now her life had been destroyed by the reputation of the person who for a while time, he hated.

The famous and majestic Collector's castle had been burned by his enemy, perhaps to erase the evidence of his deplorable actions, but he had ended up eliminating any news about the girl's biological father.

_"Look, I'm sorry if you're in this situation! Only we six know the truth, but do you really think they will believe it? We are just young scared "kids"! For now, for my parents I am only a poor victim of ... him, and even if on the one hand it is true, on the other hand I know for sure that she is definitely more dangerous than ... him!"_ Beatrice said on the other side of the phone.

"Don't worry, it will leave you alone! I'm afraid of what it will do to them! " Rose replied as she paced nervously back and forth. "_But didn't they have to run away to their world again?"_ The perplexed friend asked "Yes, but how? Swimming? We have to build the boats first and make sure they don't understand where we are hidden ... and do you really think he won't follow them once they get back? Not me!" The girl scared to death said.

"_Their? Just them? Aren't you going too? I thought I understood ..." _her friend teased her only to be interrupted by an indignant Rose

"Are you crazy? They would shoot me on sight! A human in a world of anthropomorphic animals, but are we kidding !? " Poor Rose got panicked.

_"You don't seem very convinced! And then remember that they still haven't invented guns from them, so they can't shoot you even if they are naturally equipped with far worse weapons!"_ Bea observed.

"Thanks, you are of great comfort!" Rose said sarcastically.

"_Even if I think that if you don't go, they will be much happier! You would create many problems ... I think! _" she added making a huge mistake "But go get yourself f ...".

Regardless of the questions that might arise, Rose spoke on the phone in front of the animals, as if nothing had happened.

She was in the only place where he took decently and took advantage of it as soon as she noticed a new message on the phone once in that place.

A cave well connected to the vast tunnels present in the bowels of the mountain that were not too deep. "Did she go crazy by chance?" Guo asked observing the human who spoke alone.

"No, he uses a magic device to communicate with his former friends!" Bao replied before filling his mouth again with more food.

"What are you saying? From what I heard they remained on good terms! " Lian, Fai's fiancée contested him. "Blessed is she! Here things go from bad to worse! " Cong pointed out "I mean?" Ning asked, drawn by that last statement "Wolves!" The squirrel replied.

"Already! I don't trust them! " Tai-Yang said waving his nervous tail.

"They helped us!" Lian pointed out "Yes, but they only did it for Shen and Shu!" Ji pointed out.

"It is not enough to create a good relationship of trust!" The melanic lion said before leaving once he smelled the supper.

Xu took the dinner to the tent of the strangest couple in the world.

Smiling every time he saw Lang Min refrain from making a sour comment, not wanting Shen to try harder. The favorite wolf of the peacock had gone for a patrol tour and this had eased the tension.

Already the peace between the two herds was not easy to maintain and there was also the distrust of the animals of the reserve who once outside the walls feared for their lives even when the wind blew slightly stronger.

This did not apply to him and those who had not lived their entire lives confined within four walls.

The wound in his leg was healing, as well as those of the others and Xu could not wait to start building that damned ship to finally return home.

"I hate it!" Shu's voice attracted the cat as soon as he got out of the tent.

"Are you talking about the royal guard?" Xu asked "Lower your voice!" She intimated the wolf looking around worried.

"Sooner or later the others will find out too!" He pointed out, "It doesn't matter, I think Shen wants to let him know in person and not that two morons like us go screaming it in the four winds!" Shu replied.

"Have you ever thought about the after?" The cat asked, completely changing the subject.

"After?" The she-wolf asked, not understanding "Once back! At home!" Xu specified. "Do you have a home to go back to?" she asked curiously. He shook his head.

"No, my parents abandoned me in an orphanage when I was a kid. I fled from that unfortunate place and grew with my own strength. That's why I think I'll stay with him!" Xu said, telling for the first time, a part of his past. "Even with the faithful puppy?" The wolf asked.

"Yes! I can stand it. Shen proved to be a good leader and I promised to follow him long ago! " He replied.

"I think I'll do the same too!" Shu said. "And the puppy?" Xu asked ironically. "We will find a compromise for everyday life!" She answered sincerely and annoyed.

Meanwhile, inside the tent Mei had found a good mood thanks to Lang Min.

They were behaving like five-year-old girls ... even smaller forces ... while hitting each other with big pillows kindly offered by Shen's wolves and having a great time, between laughter and screams. "What do you find funny?" Asked the fake bored peacock.

To avoid a few blows, the girls had taken ridiculous and unimaginable poses for their physical prowess. "Stop gnawing just because you can't join in the fun!" Mei replied, dodging a deadly blow to the head. "Don't insult the Prince!" The peacock said. "I'm not a Prince!" The peacock hissed. "Your friend thinks differently!" The feline repelled him "But you know the truth!" Shen justified himself "Truth?" Mei asked feignedly.

"Which truth?" she asked further, "What do I know!" Lang Min replied as she got up from the floor, struck after not avoiding a hit on her legs.

"I'm hurt, not deaf!" Shen said tired of that useless discussion.

"Aren't the deaf injured in the ears?" Lang Min asked her friend "I would say yes because they don't work well, indeed, at all!" Mei answered too seriously.

Shen mentally said all the curses he knew, old and new as he had had the opportunity to expand his vocabulary with the animals in the reserve. The nobles, if they knew them, refrained from saying them ... He did not tolerate them when they made themselves unbearable!

**FIVE MONTHS LATER (end of January)**

Time had helped everyone heal and get back in shape.

Jingjing forced many to meditate in order to calm the excitement over the imminent departure.

And to keep the tension at bay, many trained even at the end of the day when work was interrupted. Taking a cue from an ancient human ship, the construction of a huge galleon had begun, enough to carry all more weapons, supplies and other goods of various types.

The shipyard was located near the seawater which entered a large cave at sea level.

The entrance was too small to allow the ship to pass once completed. For this reason, it was decided to build the large base, equipped with stern and bow, to bring out the completed part and complete the rest in a few days by moving the boat back to the mainland.

It was better to risk being discovered at partially done jobs than at the beginning! For the moment only the skeleton of the ship was visible, but only that seemed already gigantic of his own!

During the clash with humans, not many fireworks had been used, so Shen had a lot of material to focus on building the weapon that would make their escape possible and poured freedom.

He had sent Zhan and the other wolves in search of some iron mine that, according to what Rose said, had to be under that mountain!

The wolves had raided many villages and among the spoils there were various types of fabrics in large quantities and since in the escape it was not thought to take away even some basic necessities apart from food, while being agile and fast, at the moment Lang Min and the other females were busy sewing new clothes for everyone.

Another problem arose with food supplies. Shu's complete pack, Zhan's wolves and all of them consumed several supplies at a time, albeit severely rationed. They had to find a ploy to avoid always raiding neighboring villages.

The island was small, but large enough for it to take days to reach a country to attack.

But it was better to keep the attacks against humans to a minimum, so as not to give Carmela a reason to attack them. There had to be a solution to the constant problem of hunger.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"You hit my nervous system!" Shen yelled.

"You hit me even the calm one!" Lang Min replied in the same tone.

"What a strange way to express your affection!" Guo said who, from afar, witnessed the quarrel, on the agenda, for that strange couple.

"Once I thought that having always too conflicting opinions destroyed a relationship!" Ji observed "Did you change your mind?" Tai-Yang asked "Obvious!" The lioness replied.

"It's as if they both need a partner strong enough not to get their feet on their heads, but sufficiently patient to complain about everything!" continued to observe Ji.

"Not like ... it's so stung! I think that to avoid such situations, I will never get married!" Guo said terrified at the idea of interacting with a female more than strictly necessary.

"Look, they're not moved ... not yet at least!" Tai-Yang said.

"How picky you are!" The panther accused him. "Then I will never get engaged! Happy?" Guo pointed out. "Do as you think" the lion replied "I wouldn't mind finding an ideal companion and maybe even having children!" He added.

"Don't children destroy a marriage?" Guo asked "Only if you are going through a moment of crisis!" Ji replied. "And how do you know?" Xia asked that until then she had remained silent to listen.

"Heard!" The lioness replied becoming nervous and making it clear that she would not report any further details.

"About couples! Ji, did Qiao make the first move or not?" Xia asked as she lay on the branch she was on. "What move?" The lioness asked confused. "Don't pretend nothing happens! You are not so stupid that you have not understood that he is in love with you! " Tai-Yang said barely holding back a laugh.

"You are wrong!" The feline answered shaking her tail nervously.

"Make a mistake? He is lost, cooked to perfection ... lost in love!" Xia said making the lion laugh "You have to tell me how you do it! It could be useful in the future ..." "Even if it were, I'm not interested in him! So, in case he shows his intentions to you, inform him!" Ji said disappearing from sight.

"Did he say that we have to inform him that you feel something for him too?" pretended to ask Xia "Then I got it right too!" Tai-Yang replied.

Both laughed and were unable to stop for the next half hour.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Rose used the teaser against the unfortunate poor man who had had the unfortunate idea of checking the suspicious noises caused by his friends.

"I hate that thing!" Gong said seeing the unconscious man lying on the ground. "I believe you! You know how it feels!" Genji said as he gathered numerous apples into a large sack.

"I hate stealing! It stains my good heart!" Liang protested "Said the one who had just finished smashing a vase on the head of a female human!" observed Hua as he stood guard looking out to warn everyone in case of danger.

"They say" woman"!" Rose pointed out. Their ignorance of some things sometimes managed to leave her speechless.

"Is there anyone else who hates something in particular?" The albino cobra asked with evident sarcasm in his voice. Shen coughed violently. "I think he will say" the cold "!" Liang said.

"I'm fine!" He cut him short "It's this cold that persists!" He complained.

"No come on! Seriously? Winter seems to have always been cold!" He watched Zhu making himself unbearable.

Once they refueled, they set off into the thick of the wood where the others were waiting for them.

Sam, who was on the opposite side from them, tried to make himself well seen by those who had come to the aid of those poor peasants who had just been robbed.

If the rumor spread that it was a human who stole food from the peasants, it would surely have benefited the animals, even if Shen could swear that Carmela knew that they were the ones who created such a mess.

For the moment there was no other alternative to theft and acting so openly, but Kang had informed them before they left that he was working on a solution.

"Well! This plus Shu's herd stocks will last another three months!" Lei said while marking everything on a table and others were arranging the dishes. Rose ignored her and strode towards the entrance to the cave. They had been living in there for months now.

Fortunately, their pursuers seemed to need more time to heal their wounds, or she was watching them to figure out what would be the best time to attack.

**Done! I apologize for the terrible delay! **

**Soon I will also put the following chapter! **

**What do you think? Or rather, what do you expect? **

**Although I don't know how useful it is to ask since the other chapters have already been written! **

**If there are mistakes I apologize, but my English is not high! (Anyway, let me know, thank you! Maybe I can correct and make it seem that I know it decently!) **

**It's not over! But it will be soon! Shen and the others won a battle, not war! **

**I don't say anything else! Comments and criticisms are welcome! **

**See you soon, **

**X-98**


	38. Chapter 38

**THE LAST OFFENSIVE **

"Spring is coming! Do you know what that means?" Sam asked his friend who was doing head-down push-ups from the branch of the tree on which they had climbed.

"No ... enlighten me!" She replied determined to do something more than asking for help, in the last clash that loomed on the horizon.

"It's the time ... for the animals ... you understand right?" The boy asked embarrassed "Yes, I know. But do you really believe that my father ... that is Derek, went around an unknown world to catch rare animals if it was enough to have them reproduced?" Rose asked, tired of having to talk again about that part of her life that she would rather have thrown into oblivion.

Only Derek, let's be clear! Animals, no!

"As well as being rare, they must have been different, right?" Sam asked that he never gave up if he could be right.

"But, haven't puppies been born over the years? I remember that ..." "Yes, it happened. But Shen said he found out that they and other adults who had fallen ill and then died, or seriously injured by poachers, were lying embalmed in a room hidden in the dungeons!" She replied, cutting off her friend's doubt in the bud.

The peacock's description of some of them had left no question unanswered. She knew them all little, but the missing children of Kang and Lu-Chu, or of Tai and Huan ... had had the honor of holding them in his arms, when she was just a child curious to find out that the peacock chicks did not have long rump feathers from birth.

She believed that for them it was different, instead some characteristics were marked to those of the animals of the human world.

"The puppies ... were all ... killed?" Sam asked shocked.

"Yes ... he had told me that they had not managed to survive ... and now I discover that he didn't want to give animals a valid reason to think about escape!" Rose screamed the last part of the sentence.

Sorrowful that she couldn't do anything to save those innocent lives ... she could have had many brothers now ... she should have ... but at that moment she was just a little girl!

Fortunately, despite these losses, many would have lived free lives.

The ringing of the phone lifted her spirits. It was always and only Bea who called her.

_"Will you come back in time for my birthday?"_ "Glad to hear from you too! Your birthday is in three months! I really think ... no wait, I'm not sure!" Rose replied, correcting herself.

"_Are you kidding me? Look, I really care about your presence! There will also be members of the volleyball team! The top player is mine, but the others aren't bad either…"_ protested Beatrice with extreme carelessness of the words. "I made it now! The boats are almost finished, but there is the problem of food supplies that must be solved! And anyway it's not fair that you take the best ... even if I point to a particular boy! " Rose said smiling under her mustache.

_"Thing? And who would it be? You have to tell me everything! NOW!"_ Bea protested.

"Guard ... not ... Bea ..." call ended. If there was one thing Rose could do well, it was to keep her secrets.

With her gullible friend, it was enough to pretend that the line fell and interrupted any conversation that went beyond the confidentiality line drawn by her.

It was also a defense technique since the last love confessed by Rose had been destroyed by Bea who had dragged her in front of the poor unfortunate and asked him without concern _"Do you know that she loves you?"_. And a year later Rose was still careful not to avoid that former flame!

"There is a problem!" Sam was the bearer of bad news lately! Sighting hostile guards, problem with food supplies, or simply he was the one who made a mess!

"What's up?" The girl asked, heading towards the depths of those caves, where, for the moment, they had taken refuge with all the others.

"They are fighting!" The friend replied "What news!" She pointed out.

Not everyone, but some, since they had become more experienced with martial arts, resolved anything by fighting. Like ... of the animals ... believed them to be more evolved in this too, but apparently she was wrong.

Even though Shen had told her that everyone had humble origins!

Perhaps only among the peasants had they remained in the stone age? Who knows how the nobles interacted with each other ?!

But in retrospect Rose realized that she had seen the peacock in question, fight with others exactly like the "peasants"! So he came back point and head!

"Bad!" Sam pointed out, bringing her down to earth. Rose sighed nervously. He always spoke by hyperbole, magnifying even the smallest of problems! But apparently this time he was right!

The sounds of metallic shots reached her even before she reached her destination, in addition to the various snarls and verses that she didn't know how to define.

Apparently Pei had lost his temper and was furious at Deshi. The two pachyderms were giving her for good reason, with kicks, punches and blows with sharp, heavy and blunt objects that happened under hand, no, paw!

Mei, Guo, Xian and others tried in vain to stand between the two quarrels in an attempt to quell the fight, but with poor results.

A strong paupular made everyone turn towards the stern of the recently completed ship and the girl saw Shen perched on a tree. With a mighty jump and a fascinating turn around, the peacock landed between the two in a fighting position.

She had to admit it: Shen had style in his entrances on the scene!

Maybe it was in his being a peacock! Always charming, he surprised everyone despite his plumage did not have very bright colors. Or it was only he who was an exhibitionist!

"Explain yourself!" Shen said softly. He hadn't screamed. But it was as if he had done it! In fact, it would have been better! Much less chilling! "This idiot made us discover!" Pei yelled out of his mind.

"It's not true!" The bear defended himself "If you hadn't followed me and attacked that man, they would never have noticed us!" Deshi accused him.

"You went out?" Shen asked, feeling a shiver run through his entire spine.

"Yes, but I was next to the entrance! If someone had arrived I would have returned immediately ... as I did then! The humans saw us and ran away terrified, but only because Pei jumped on me by surprise and I reacted too much noise! " Explained the bear.

"They heard you, not me!" Pei yelled "But only because of you!" Deshi replied offended only by being silenced by a powerful kick from the muzzle of the peacock. A tense silence took over.

"Idiot! Now they know where we are! They can plan an attack! " Shouted the furious peacock.

"The great Shen who retires from a battle! Nowadays you never cease to be surprised ..." Deshi said with arrogant tone only to receive a punch in the stomach by Pei

"Idiot! Didn't you think about our lives in that buggy head of yours? They want to kill those monsters! " The buffalo screamed.

Shen got on a table and saw that many had come to that large cave, attracted by the confusion. He could speak "Now humans have an advantage! Rest assured that they will arrive ... but they will not find us unprepared! In the past six months we have been working continuously and five of my weapons are finished! We will use them to annihilate ..." "Hatred destroys everything it touches!"

Jingjing said appearing next to Shen.

"If we don't stop them they will follow us! They'll catch us again! " Qi yelled "Derek is dead!" Li said "We have to stop her!" Manchu pointed out.

"We will stop them! Everyone in position! " Shen said before running to warn Kang.

* * *

"We have been sailing for days, but I don't know where we are at the moment. It was a coincidence that the storm brought us here ..." said Zhan pointing to a point on a map.

"The Master says that the case does not exist! You came to help us ..." "Just say bullshit!" Mei said pushing her friend, even if the words of the Master had made her think a lot.

It was strange that they had managed to get there and that they had managed to find them!

And just before their escape! But the biggest surprise had been Shu's pack!

Zhan was with only twenty members of his pack which apparently was even bigger than Shu's ... but all the others ?!

They could have been few like the black wolves ... instead they moved together, as if they expected the imminent battle!

Zhan growled, but decided not to answer when he saw Lang Min pray him with his eyes, not to start fighting. It had been a shock to discover that the Prince was alive after all those years, besides the fact that he had created an army ... and finding a girlfriend was what had given him the coup de grace!

He did not believe it possible that such a thing could have happened, even if he hoped for it, for the sake of his lord.

In addition to this he had to confront highly prepared warriors who, united by fear for human beings, were unpredictable and could have decided to rebel and attack the Prince.

He clearly perceived the resentment felt by everyone towards him. Even towards the white wolves if he had to be sincere.

Apparently the animals in the reserve didn't trust anyone other than themselves!

It was not surprising.

Shen had told him that many of them had never lived a life beyond the walls and that what might have seemed normal was a novelty, something different from what they had known until then.

And the different ... is scary!

But the worst thing, indeed, the most stubborn and unbearable person he had to deal with was the albino leopard.

That feline was Shen's shadow and it annoyed him a lot. He had always been the peacock's bodyguard and since he didn't know Mei at all, he was wary of him.

The hatred, widely reciprocated, had not allowed either of them to make an attempt to approach even in those months.

They only put up with each other because Shen seemed to be very close to both. And since Zhan blindly trusted his lord, he had decided to refrain from attacking the cat as soon as their paths crossed to avoid doing him wrong.

On the other hand, Lang Min was always happy and kind.

She was able to behave as if it were completely normal to live in a wet cave, hidden from the rest of the world. She treated all wolves as his peers and sometimes involved them in the jokes he played with the youngest peacocks in the group and others who got involved.

"A good laugh heals many wounds!" It was what Lang Min always said. Or "Don't wait to be happy to smile. But smile to be happy! " she said continuously.

And this was absolutely necessary, given that Shen was always very gloomy and serious on the other side. With the turbulent and patience-free character he had, his fiancée was like a breath of fresh air, or a ray of sunshine that illuminates a freezing winter morning ... do we understand each other?

It was also to be said that being so different led them to quarrel very often, even though most of the time Zhan could say with certainty that they did it only for the fun they felt in contradicting each other.

A howl put them on alert: the showdown was imminent!

* * *

Finally!

For months his men had been looking for animals and once the long-awaited news had come, they had moved.

Her mastery had guaranteed her to be the champion of justice in which everyone believed blindly and this had brought her even more power and wealth than she could have imagined!

Armed with nets, rifles, machine guns and many other things they went towards the steep rocky shores of the shore, with one goal: to eliminate the problem by not completely losing any gain.

Sure, Derek had done a good job, but stuffed animals would have required less risk, work and money, both to oversee and feed them.

The investigating judge took a deep hole causing the entire vehicle to wobble. Already felling trees took time, so she hadn't bothered to have the road taken care of.

If he wanted to take them by surprise he had to move fast!

Thanks to the numerous aids provided by his supporters, he knew the territory perfectly, therefore also the labyrinth of caves where the animals had hidden.

She had to admit that they had shown great intelligence in escaping, less when they decided to stay on the island. But these were anthropomorphic animals.

Although not very advanced, compared to humans, they certainly were compared to animals like them that lived in the human world. And also, during the escape they had demonstrated their ability to fight and cope with human weapons in a shrewd and lethal way!

She absolutely shouldn't underestimate them! Derek had done it and all the people had stopped supporting him, changing his opinion on his collection from incredible, rare and unique to dangerous, unmanageable and destructive.

A little distraction was enough to start the decline of the empire he built and from which he had not been able to recover.

Since the first escape of the animals, people's relationships and trust had been irreparably flawed. Incredible how easily trust can be lost, if you think about how hard work you have to do to earn it!

As far as he knew, perhaps, at that precise moment, the animals were building boats to be able to return to their world! Or they might have been intent on designing an attack plan against him!

They didn't seem to be upset with other humans.

Attacks on numerous farms and the plundering of large crops had been recorded and only one human, whose identity was unknown, was the only one believed to be responsible as he had been seen on every crime scene, but she was sure they were involved the animals!

No human being had been injured and this had led her to draw the conclusion that they, only she considered dangerous! Big mistake!

With such a problem, she had come forward to destroy the animals deemed dangerous, but anyone, armed with a rifle, could have killed them.

Maybe not everyone, maybe it would have taken longer, but humans have an innate gift in destroying nature! So in any case their fate was sealed!

And if people hated them, considering them dangerous, it only benefited her. Looking out the window, Carmela could see their goal getting closer.

She pulled an old photo, yellowed by time, from his wallet, which portrayed two five-year-old and nine-year-old girls smiling, embracing each other affectionately.

"Dear little sister! Always sad and fragile ... life has not punished you enough since I find myself having to fix the mess that your progeny has created! But soon you will embrace your daughter again and my revenge will finally be accomplished!".

* * *

"Fireworks in place!" Bao said before stuffing three apples into his mouth. Mao, an albino dog grabbed the crate next to the panda to go and save the supplies, both from his friend's bottomless stomach and from the imminent clash.

Three days had passed since Deshi had revealed their position and Hua had finally sighted the humans and their metal wagons.

"Kang is with Tai and a few others guarding the boat, Mei and Xun control the main entrance with most of us, Ning is on the south side, Bao and Kun are at the east entrance, Shu and most of the his wolves are hidden on the surface while Zhan remains glued to your tail!" Xian said pointing to the wolf behind Shen. They had divided into groups, led by two or a single leader who received Shen's directions and spread the word.

"We are at war, because every living being is at war with himself!" Jingjing said, drawing attention to himself "It seems to be our fault if humans want to kill us!" Guo whispered in Fa's ear.

"What do you think the way you want! We will make it clear to humans that they made a bad decision by putting us in a cage!" Said Zhu, the albino cobra, waving the tail at the end of which a long and sharp blade had been attached.

"Why didn't we put the cannons near the entrances? We could have brought them down on their heads!" Asked Zhi, a harlequin peacock, who had hinted that he had a blue fifa even though he would never admit it, even under torture!

"In this way we would have been trapped! If we went out with the boat they could easily spot us! Better to force them to split up and attack them separately" Shen replied as he finished fixing the last fireworks.

The peacock gave his brother Xian a knowing look knowing full well the truth that few knew!

Poor Sam and Rose had been stunned and tied up only to be thrown inside a ship's cabin, locked so they wouldn't take any risks, all done under Kang's orders.

If he hadn't grown up locked within four walls, Shen was sure he could have become a very influential and powerful person thanks to the charisma he possessed.

The peacock smiled when he saw Lang Min approach him.

"Do you promise me you will pay attention?" Asked the peacock. Shen sighed, rolling his eyes. The anxiety of females.

At times like these they always had to think of the worst and make males make false promises!

Not all of them, but most of the peacocks had done it! The other females appeared to have multiple backbones.

"Sure!" He replied without tone, but as soon as he saw her turn to take a position with others he felt a grip on his stomach "Wait!" Shen said only to stop immediately afterwards.

No, he was not a frightened damsel, but he preferred to have the situation under control.

He saw that she was looking at him even more worried than before and decided to calm her down "I would prefer if you stayed with me during the fight, so I will be sure that nothing will happen to you!" He said trying not to be too sweet ... even if it was too late!

"Nobody will touch her!" Zhan said waving the big hammer he held in one paw. Lang Min and Shen smiled, both grateful to the wolf.

* * *

Silence. An unnatural silence enveloped those caves.

They might have thought they were wrong, but Carmela knew it was not so!

They were waiting for them!

Unfortunately, the terrain inside the mountain was too steep to allow the investigating magistrates to enter, so his men were forced to move on foot.

Equipped with bulletproof vests, rifles and flashlights, they really looked like a special police unit as they probed the surrounding area at the entrance.

Their targets possessed only spears, blunt objects and arrows, but the natural weapons possessed by some made the vests necessary.

After ascertaining that the animals were all inside, they entered. At the beginning they had to face a not very steep descent but with the ground full of pointed boulders. Immediately after the tunnel it became wider and flat.

She was dressed like them, with her face covered and the weapon in her hand.

She wouldn't have stayed on the sidelines like Derek had done, losing hundreds of men against her, but she wouldn't have risked too much.

The animals wanted her dead, this was clear and therefore she had chosen a way of approach with which she would have laughed at them before she could kill them.

The initial tunnel was very wide, but soon it split into many other narrower ones.

Not too much not to pass, but she was sure that the bigger animals had certainly encountered some difficulties in passing through.

Or maybe they had used another entrance.

Time passed and despite the searches they had not yet found any trace of their presence!

It was impossible that the spies had made fun of her, they knew well that the safety of the inhabitants of the cities surrounding the mountain was at stake. Yet that branching of caves was wide and it would take hours to fully explore it.

"So these animals are extremely advanced? What do you mean?" One of the guards asked one of his peers "I heard that they know how to fight and forged their weapons themselves!" The other replied.

"Yes, but despite these" amazing "abilities, we have the guns! So we have the knife on the handle side!" Someone who had heard the conversation despite being away from the two intruded, only thanks to the incredible echo of those caves.

"Go and tell those who stood to protect the walls!" He observed the first.

"You shouldn't underestimate them! They are extra large animals with such large swords! " Another said, unable to stop controlling the surroundings obsessively.

"The sword is slower than the bullet!" He boasted "Repeat it when all this is over!" Replied the one who was the most nervous of those present.

"Okay, as you wish madame ... I would not be surprised if your scream resembled that of a ..." the man disappeared from the view of his companions to fall back among them in a pool of blood and with a throat torn.

After that, chaos broke out.

The soldiers fired at random and those who did not stay with the group disappeared into the darkness of the caves being thrown, now dead, on those still alive.

The burning torches created an even more disturbing atmosphere, jerking the tunnels until they were broken, but allowing other humans to glimpse the silhouettes of their attackers just before they disappeared again into the dark.

In that confusion, one of them managed to fire with a rocket launcher and the explosion illuminated a corridor showing a group of animals, of different species, on the run and others on the ground injured.

When the darkness returned, the verses led them to the opposite side from the tunnel where they had seen them disappear and before they could attack again they collided with another group in advance.

"We heard an explosion! You look fine?" One asked "We do, but the dead don't!" A soldier replied visibly shaken by what he had just seen.

"They will pay you! Stay united and leave the lamps!" Screamed the one with the highest rank.

Large neon lamps were scattered along the way, so that the animals could no longer hide.

* * *

It had been fun to attack those fools unaware of the impending danger!

Mei and those who were with her had retreated as soon as humans had shown that they were serious. Also because poor Xu had been seriously injured while trying to protect her!

The feline felt a great sense of guilt weighing on her conscience at the thought of not having taken the fight seriously. She jumped from one wall to another avoiding the blows, stunning the humans that you grabbed with the whip so that Xun and the others could complete the work, without thinking that humans could have weapons far worse than what they called "rifles".

When the lethal blow was launched she had turned around just in time to see him in passing before being violently pushed against a wall.

The explosion caused part of the ceiling to collapse and debris hit her on the shoulder, but Xu had been injured by the fireball and had lost consciousness immediately.

The distant rumble of explosions preceded by high-pitched whistles made it clear that Ning and those who were with him had been discovered!

She turned after a tight curve and barely had time to squash himself on the ground to avoid the fatal blows of other humans.

Her eye fell on the nets fixed to the ceiling placed there at the request of Wen and most of the mustelids.

/

_"Are you serious when you ask for things like this?" Asked a skeptical Cheung. _

_"Of course yes!" Wen replied "What could they be for?" Xian asked curiously. "To capture humans ... come on! A knife stroke or two and they're free! " Xue said mocking the primate. _

_"Knife?" Fu, the albino fox asked "Yes, from what Piao told us, every soldier will be well armed!" The albino skunk answered. _

"_The gods listened to some of my prayers! I don't like bragging about easy wins! " Qiao said as he swung his steel Dao with one leg._

_"If we hang nets on the ceiling we could move over the heads of the bipeds, thus deriding them, deceiving them and annihilating them in one fell swoop!" Cong explained that he was one of the few to support the poor monkey. _

"_A great strategy! I like it! If you can get a permit from Kang then, the closest port is two days' journey from this village! " Rose said indicating a small gathering of houses by the sea not far from where they were currently. _

/

In the end the nets had been placed in almost all the tunnels and caves present, unfortunately they were not enough to cover the entire area, but now, Mei could say she was happy with the idea to which at the beginning, she had not given the slightest importance.

With a mighty jump he managed to frighten the few soldiers gathered in front of them, who backed away frightened, aiming all their weapons at her. The cat clung to the ropes and stood motionless staring at the ceiling.

A slight movement of the tail gave way to the few who were with her who attacked the humans with extreme ferocity, with the Nintendo to divert their attention from Mei.

Zhi opened his large tail paupulating as hard as possible and closed it immediately after lowering himself, thus allowing others to jump over it and surprise humans by making them fall to the ground under their weight.

The weapons fired unnecessarily as the impact had turned them towards harmless stones.

Li and Lim managed to throw two bipeds each and they wasted no time, stunning them even before they could even protest.

Mei's whip occasionally hit humans allowing his friends to easily lay them out. It almost seemed that the cat wanted to remind them of her presence.

Qi threw that cursed device that emitted light in an attempt to gain an advantage, but to no avail, remained intact. He avoided and deflected numerous blows, knocked down many enemies and killed two, even if he did not care much about deciding to kill them all or not, as others had done.

"In here it seems like day!" Li said, with an unconscious Xu on his shoulders as he headed for a dark corridor.

"We've already done enough confusion!" Mei said, dropping onto a human who had just arrived unaware that she was still hanging from the ceiling.

It struck him with such violence, with his metal whip, that he removed all questions about the doubt whether he was still alive.

The cat pulled one end of the fuse causing it to rub and light.

A new invention by Shen: fireworks that can be ignited independently without the need for fire!

Brilliant since the fire could have attracted too much attention!

After launching the firecracker towards a new group of bipeds, who arrived there thanks to the sound of the shots, he ran after Li with the others.

The last thing he heard was an explosion followed by cries of pain.

* * *

**I classified my story T. So I tried not to accurately describe scenes of violence! **

**But if for someone it is the same too violent, let me know, so change it to M, forbidden to children under 16 instead of 13 years! **

**The battle is not over yet! There will be more twists and revelations! **

**I hope you like the story because I had never described a war scene! In fact, this is the first story I wrote, so I hope I haven't been too boring! **

**I thank all those who left comments because they encouraged me to continue writing and not to erase the story! **

**See you soon, **

**X-98**


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